Her Voice
by Kaguya's Chaos
Summary: How was it possible to be so attached to a voice when they had never met in person? He didn't even know what she looked like, but that wasn't going to stop him. After all, they were partners. Warning: Not a fluff piece. Contains intricate plot.
1. Chapter 1

Her Voice

By Kaguya's Chaos

Chapter One

She couldn't keep still. Kicking her legs slightly she glanced around the room again. The others sitting in their own chairs were much like herself. The excitement and anticipation was practically a living thing among the fifteen ten-year-olds gathered in the small classroom. Kagome glanced back down at her portable screen on the desk in front of her and resisted the urge to mess with it. A loud sigh to her right caught her attention and she looked over to her best friend.

"Kagome!" Yuka squealed as she took her seat and set down her own screen. "It's finally time! We get tested today!" She continued as she grabbed ahold of Kagome's hands in nervous excitement. "Where do you think you'll be placed?"

Kagome giggled slightly and winced when it came out as more like a squeak. Inhaling deeply to calm herself down, she pulled her hands from her friends' tight grip. Assuming an air of superiority, she stuck her nose in the air. "It doesn't matter where you're placed only that you do the best you can." She glanced at Yuka out the corner of her eye and both burst out laughing. "Did I sound like Hayake-sensei?"

Yuka crossed her arms on her desk and put her chin down. "Yeah, almost scary so." She said still giggling slightly. Kagome glanced down at her own desk. "Yuka-chan? Are you scared?"

Yuka looked back over and nodded. "Yeah." Both got quiet as they thought about what was to happen in the course of the day. The older kids had told all of them that the tests were really hard. "Onii-san said that they make you do all sorts of weird things." Yuka continued and Kagome put her own head on her desk.

"My cousin Kikyo said that she couldn't remember all the tests they did, but the written test is really hard." She mumbled and Yuka let out a long sigh.

"Gah! I wish this would just start already!"

As if in answer the door opened and three adults walked into the classroom. All noise ceased as all eyes watched in anticipation.

"Everyone put your screens down and place all your attention up here, please." The first adult to enter the room calmly set his screen on the podium at the front and gestured to the woman and man to have entered with him. "As you know, today is the aptitude and placement test and Dr. Kitakawa and Captain Saldanha are here to oversee them."

Kagome sat up straight in her seat and breathed a small sigh of relief. She knew Dr. Midoriko Kitakawa. She was the lead psychic researcher down in the botanical labs that her mother worked in. While she didn't know the rigid looking captain standing next to her, it was still relieving to know that Midoriko would be one of the overseers.

Hayake-sensei motioned the two to a couple of chairs set at the front and both overseers sat down. He then turned back to the class and placed both hands on the podium. "Before we begin the testing, we are going to go over a bit of our history. It is imperative that each and every single one of you understands how important today is. Not just for you, but for everyone." He paused briefly and pulled out his screen. A few swipes later and an enlarged holographic list appeared before him.

"Each of you will start by taking an aptitude test. This will cover the things you have been taught as well as things you have yet to be taught. This will help us narrow down where your interests lie so that we can prepare you for your role in society." He motioned vaguely to the list that many were already reading. "A sample of the jobs you could obtain. More will be explained on that after the placement testing has concluded. The second part of today's testing," here he paused briefly to again swipe at the screen and a different, shorter, list was presented. "…will be on what you're fully capable of." He stopped as excited chatter cut through his speech.

Kagome felt that thrill of both fear and excitement race up her spine. This was what she had been looking forward to and dreading at the same time. The second set of testing they were going to receive was to see whether they were psychic or not. So tightly was she wound up, she nearly jumped out of her chair when Yuka grabbed her arm and shook her slightly.

"Settle down! Quiet please!" Hayake-sensei nearly shouted to be heard over the others and quickly brought the room back into focus. "As you all know, we as a people, are divided into three separate classes. That in no way means we are separate as a species, just that some of us are born with a little extra that has its own place in our society." He started to ramble on about equality and other things and Kagome felt a brief flash of irritation.

"-and that brings us to the three classes themselves. First we have the psychics, or rather those with that extra ability I mentioned earlier. If you are tested and found to have psychic potential your roles will be further explained by Dr. Kitakawa. Next we have militaristic ability. Many of you may test positive for an active role in our protection-"

"From the aliens!" An excited voice broke in from the front and Kagome recognized it as Kai, a loudmouthed bully who liked to tease her. Many giggles escaped as Hayake-sensei sighed and rubbed the bridge of his nose, as he was seen to do whenever he had to deal with Kai.

"Yes. From the aliens." He muttered something else beneath his breath that had Midoriko stifling a laugh and Captain Saldanha snorting. "And the last class is the civilians. Much more of you are likely to become civilians then either of the other two, but that doesn't mean being a civilian isn't just as important." He went on in his description but none of them were listening any more.

Kagome was again shaken by Yuka as she excitedly whispered about the psychic class. Her eyes followed the teacher as he brought his screen up for a third time and her own screen made a soft beeping sound. All students got quiet and turned to their screens as the test appeared. "Take out your stylus and you may begin."

* * *

Kagome stood from her seat as her name was called. The second part of the testing had begun an hour ago and she was the fifth name to be called to the back room. No one had come back out, but that wasn't unusual. Hayake-sensei had already explained they would be leaving out the second door and sent home after the second test. Glancing nervously at a grinning Yuka, Kagome walked slowly to the front of the room and up to a calmly smiling Midoriko.

Placing her hand behind the young girl, Midoriko guided Kagome to the door, winking to her as they both walked through. Inside were the other two adults and a large pod-shaped chair. "Higurashi-san, please sit in the pod and we can start hooking you up to the machine." Captain Saldanha said gruffly and Kagome climbed into the chair. Midoriko knelt in front of her and began placing the small wires along her temples, the insides of her wrists, and the sides of her neck. When she was done she smiled briefly and stood back.

"The second part of the testing begins for one, Kagome Higurashi." Hayake-sensei said softly into the small recording device in the top of his screen, and Kagome knew no more.

* * *

She vaguely remembered the test, and knew they had asked her multiple questions. She even remembered they had taken off the electrodes and the walk along the walkways to get home. But when asked later she couldn't say with finality that she remembered what the second part of the test had been about. She wasn't too worried about it however, because it was just how Kikyo had described it last week in their holo-conversation. Kagome sat in her chair at the family dining table, her mother, brother and grandfather sitting around her, but all conversation was muted as Kagome tried to think past the slight haze in her mind. The results of her testing was to be sent to her home unit around the time of the evening meal, and all the family members were anxiously awaiting the tale-tell ring of the notification system.

Ms. Higurashi placed the pot of Oden on the table and again glanced at her ten year old daughter. She still remembered the slight haze from her own testing all those years ago, but it was still slightly disturbing that Kagome didn't even notice that they were having her favorite for dinner. She looked to her father, who had recently moved into their family unit after her husband had been killed by an alien raid. The older man was calmly sipping the tea at the head of the table, and if she had seen the slight tremble in his hand as he had lifted his cup, she would have thought him to be perfectly composed.

'Please, any one listening up above.' Ms. Higurashi briefly prayed, 'don't allow Kagome to take after her father and join the military.' She looked down in slight shame for her thoughts, because it was considered a high honor to be in the military class, but she didn't think she could calmly accept her only daughter to join the bloody fight against a race of beings that had destroyed their home planet and continue to hunt them down through the universe. 'Please allow her to take after father and I and be designated as a civilian.' She finished as she set the rest of the table and took her own seat.

Souta, ignorant of the undertones in the room, loudly laughed and brought everyone's attention to the now. "Oka-san gave me Nee-chan's cup!" He giggled loudly again and Ms. Higurashi felt the tension lessen from her shoulders as Kagome also laughed.

That tension however, returned with a snap as the soft chimes signaling a message rang through the intercom. Her hand trembled slightly as she brought out her screen and pressed the flashing message symbol. A holo-projection settled over the food at the table and Dr. Midoriko Kitakawa stood over the pot of oden.

"Congratulations, Kagome Higurashi-san. You have passed your tests with flying colors and you have been designated as a Psychic. You will report to room 207 tomorrow morning to begin further instruction." The message ended swiftly and Ms. Higurashi felt the room tilt slightly as she sat heavily in her chair.

A psychic. Her daughter was a psychic. Glancing to the others in the room she forced a smile to her face. Well, it wasn't the military, and that's what she had asked for. Besides, there were many jobs a psychic could have that didn't involve fighting the good fight. She repeated this over like a mantra as the family set about eating dinner.

* * *

Kagome breathed deeply as she again connected with that inner spark that pulsed within her. The others around her that she was able to sense faded to the background as she studied her own energy. Kitakawa-sensei had already identified with her on how her energy worked and the both of them had trained it into a well-defined point. Truly there was no need for her to do the inner searching she was today, but she was nervous. It had been five years since she had been designated a psychic and at the age of fifteen it was now time for her first linking lesson.

Linking, as it had been explained by Kitakawa-sensei, was where a psychic and a person from the military class joined mentally and fought together against the ether-based aliens that warred with humanity. According to Kitakawa-sensei, the psychic was able to tap into the inner energy of their militaristic partner and bring it to the fore, allowing their partner to fight fire with fire, as it were. Today, with their first linking, they would be paired up with veteran fighters that had volunteered for the lesson.

In keeping with how their society worked, they wouldn't be meeting face to face with their linking partner. The pods they would be entering would already have the information necessary to guide each psychic to their partner. Kagome felt the same anxious energy fizzle up from the pit of her stomach and tried to contain the jitters running through her limbs. She glanced about at the ten of them standing in the room awaiting the linking lesson to begin and lamented over the fact that Yuka couldn't be there.

Not that they've even talked to each other in the past five years, Kagome sighed. After their designation results had been posted, Kagome had found out that Yuka had been placed into the civilian class. When she had approached the friend she had had since they were both five, she had been greeted with cold politeness and a slight snubbing. Kagome had been hurt but she had understood. Yuka had wanted to be psychic since she had known her, and who wouldn't want to be? Psychics were the top of the food chain. The head of all the classes. After all, without psychics, humanity wouldn't be able to fight back against their enemy.

The door to the pod room whooshed open and all attention became riveted to Kitakawa-sensei as she came in. Still looking down at her screen and organizing what she found there, she ignored the quiet anticipation oozing from all in the room. When she finally glanced up, it was in satisfaction to see that all of her students were appropriately dressed in the suits used for the linking pods. With a nod of her head she approached the first of the pods in the room.

"Kado-san." She motioned to the pod and continued to the next. "Amelia-san." She continued down the row and Kagome approached the pod she was assigned when her name was called. At this point all of them knew what they had to do to properly hook themselves up to the pod. They had practiced multiple times, and while they never got to the stage where the pod was filled with the stasis gel, they were drilled in how the electrodes were properly placed.

Kagome sat in her seat and began placing the small suction cups in their spots. Temples, wrists, neck. She then strapped the long banded electrodes around her ankles and waited for Kitakawa-sensei to check her off. When it was finally her turn, Kagome watched in anticipation as Midoriko smiled slightly and nodded. "Good job, Higurashi-san. Now lie back. Remember not to panic as the pod fills with gel, the first few moments are the hardest." She repeated softly as she pressed a few buttons on the keypad beside the pod. The chair she was sitting in reclined and flattened out as a smooth glass casing came over the top.

Kagome felt the tingles of fear shoot through her and again went over the information they had been given multiple times over how this worked. The pod would fill with the stasis gel and they were to calmly breathe it in as if it were air. Kitakawa-sensei had said it was an unusual experience, and frightening the first time. The best thing to do was to keep calm. She repeated this over and over as the pod began filling with the lukewarm gel. Contrary to what many of the older psychics had said, it didn't fill slowly. The whole process was rather fast and Kagome didn't have much time to contemplate the feel of the gel before her head was covered. As with all humans, she instinctually held her breath, but as if the gel had a mind of its' own, she felt it enter her nose and before she could stop it, she felt herself breathe it in.

Her mind blanked briefly as she tried to reject the fact that she was ingesting a strange gel, her body had a strange convulsion as if on its own, and then it was over. She had closed her eyes when the gel had covered her face, but now her eyes shot open as she came to the realization that she was breathing in the stasis gel. She closed her eyes again, just as Kitakawa-sensei's voice came telepathically to her.

'Good. You have all successfully been submerged in the stasis gel and it is now time for your first linking lesson. All of you find your inner energy, just as we always do in class, and allow it to lead you to the next stage.' Her telepathic message faded as Kagome did as instructed. Her inner self turned as if being directed and she felt herself wandering farther then she had previously gone before.

The place she found herself, felt strange. Like her limbs were extended farther then they should be, but she didn't feel stretched. She was also aware of another energy around her, as if she was in a cocoon. Her inner self startled slightly when a deep chuckle vibrated in the proximity of where her ears were supposed to be.

'Welcome to your first linking. My name is Wilson, Jacob Wilson.' The deep mellow voice echoed strangely and Kagome felt a small fizzle of what could be a smile if she had a corporeal form.

'Higurashi. Kagome Higurashi, a pleasure Wilson-san.'

* * *

Ah, so I'm back on the scene everyone. Thank you for taking the time to check out my newest work and please read and review.


	2. Chapter 2

Her Voice

Chapter Two

By Kaguya's Chaos

Kagome walked quickly down the brightly lit corridor, her heart thumping loudly in her ears. Confusion and a little bit of fear tingled across her shoulder blades and down her spine. The notification came from the council early this morning and had caused a small commotion within her family unit. The holo-mail had arrived in the center of their breakfast with a sharp chirp and all motion had paused.

"Father? Were you expecting something?" Ms. Higurashi asked tentatively and the elderly man slowly shook his head with a frown on his face. Frowning herself, Ms. Higurashi leaned over slightly and swiped her hand over the flashing red sign to open the message. With another chirp, the message expanded and the face of the council smiled broadly into the space between Ms. Higurashi and Ji-chan.

"Good morning, and apologies for this unprecedented message!" The smarmy voice floated over the four in the room. "I am here to announce that we have need to see Miss Kagome Higurashi in the council's central meeting room." Kagome interjected slightly with a gasp. "Your appointment is scheduled for 800 hours, please be on time." With a final chirp, the face man of the council dissolved into nothing.

This lead to where Kagome was now striding toward the council meeting room with her heart in her throat. It was two days from her graduation and Kitakawa-sensei hadn't mentioned there being any kind of problem. Despite the fact that she had top marks in her class, and the extensive amounts of time she put into any research she was given jurisdiction over, she couldn't help but think that something was wrong. Maybe they were going to tell her that she wasn't psychic enough for her designation? Her heartbeat tripled and her face paled slightly.

She stopped moving forward and continued this line of thought, her imagination sending her into strange scenarios of her being blacklisted and sent to the janitorial department. Her family would be so shamed, they would cut all ties to her! So lost in morbid thought, she didn't register she was at her destination until someone loudly cleared their throat.

Kagome jumped slightly and looked into the stoic, yet questioning, face of the military personnel standing beside the very door she needed to go through. Clasping her hands onto the bottom of her synthetic cotton shirt, she straightened her shoulders. 'Better get on with it then.' She thought to herself, grimly.

"Kagome Higurashi. I was summoned this morning by the council." She said shortly, more so due to nerves than anything else. The guardsman nodded and placed his hand on the panel just slightly behind him.

"The council has been expecting you." He answered just as shortly and Kagome walked into the intimidating room before her.

She didn't know what it was like on other ships, but she imagined that each had the same kind of council meeting room. Despite the fact that the door leading in was small and, other than the guard stationed out front, rather unassuming, the interior was spacious. A long empty room that must have been over three hundred paces, and at the end of the room were the ten holo-projectors that the councilmen would use during important meetings. Nine projectors for the shadowed men and women that sat on the council for deliberations, and the middle projector for what everyone knew to be the "face" of the council.

From what Kagome remembered and understood during her lessons, the council remained "hidden" from the masses due to the safety of themselves and their decisions. You can't buy off a council member if you didn't know who they were, and you couldn't sway their decisions. The way the council was split was three members from each faction would always be present, in light of fairness and equality, Kagome supposed, but how the council was elected and who decided any of that she didn't know. She wasn't interested in politics after all.

Glancing around the empty room, Kagome made her way to the large desk and lone chair placed before the projectors. As she reached the chair, and as if triggering some sort of button, the projectors flared to life and Kagome found herself staring into the face of the council and the nine shadowed figures behind him. Her mouth went dry and her hand shook as she questioned the ramifications of the entire council being present for whatever was about to happen.

"Good morning, Miss Higurashi." Kagome about jumped a foot in the air as the same smarmy voice from that morning echoed out into the quiet room. Straightening further in attention, Kagome found herself bowing slightly in the way her Ji-chan had taught her their ancestors had when being polite. With a nervous blush she quickly snapped back up and instead saluted as she was supposed to, with her hand curled slightly and placed just below her left shoulder.

"And to you, councilman." She managed to murmur as she placed her hand on the back of the chair.

"Please, be seated." The man, (what WAS his name?), smiled in what Kagome thought he believed to be charming. Kagome sat down and glanced at the top of the table, startled to realize it was actually a large screen.

"Miss Higurashi, you have been summoned before us today because we find ourselves in quite the quandary." Kagome glanced up sharply at the only animated person in front of her. "You see, graduation is but mere days away and we find ourselves unable to aptly place you."

Kagome's heart settled into her shoes. Her mind blanked and she stared down at the large screen once more. 'Unable to aptly place you, huh?' She felt tears come to her eyes and scrunched her brows to keep them from falling. 'What the heck does that mean?!'

To not be placed was unheard of. Everyone, from the top student to the lowest in the ranks, was placed into their designation once graduation was over with. Whether that be in the janitorial department or with the political aspects within each ship. There was no 'not designated' placement. Each person was placed where they worked the best depending on their emotional and logical placement on the rigorous testing you went through in school. While you didn't get to choose yourself verbally, no one was ever really dissatisfied with their placement. And if you were, you were allowed to petition the labor board for reassignment, but that hardly ever happened.

"I don't understand." Kagome spoke softly and looked back up when the shadowed figures behind the front man shifted slightly.

Mr. Face, as Kagome was going to refer to him, frowned slightly in a practiced movement that she was sure he had learned in the entertainment faction aboard his own ship. His upper torso leaned forward slightly and Kagome realized that he too must be seated behind a desk as she could only see to his waist. 'For some reason I was sure he was seated on a throne.' She thought inanely as he began to speak again.

"Quite frankly, Miss Higurashi, your scores and the aptitude you have shown in the many different fields you have been tested in don't give any of us a clear idea of where best to utilize you." Kagome frowned back at him and sat up straight, her hands clasped in front of her on the screen.

"What exactly does that mean for me?" She asked as her mind whirled to reach a logical conclusion.

"It means, Miss Higurashi," Mr. Face smirked slightly, "that for the first time since our systems have been put into place, you will be allowed to choose your own designation." He paused slightly and Kagome was grateful. Her thoughts had ground to a halt and a strange emotion was welling up inside her like a balloon.

"My own…?" She whispered to herself as her thoughts fought to reorganize themselves.

"We have picked out the best options from what we know and there are numerous choices you can make." Mr. Face said in a slightly more solicitous tone. He waved a hand and the screen before her flashed to life with dozens of documents and what looked to be pictured pamphlets. "We will give you the next few hours to go over the information provided to you. When you have come to a decision, the call sign in the upper left corner will notify us and we will continue this meeting."

Kagome looked up with a dazed expression and her thoughts ground to a halt at the serious and dark look on the councilman's face. "Remember, Miss Higurashi. This is a decision you, yourself are now responsible for. You will have no one else but yourself to lay any of the blame." With that last ominous message, the council winked out of sight.

Kagome felt her emotions settle as she allowed his words to sink in. This was an important decision she never thought she would be allowed to make. Her eyes wandered to the many documents before her and her spine stiffened. The first one on the top had a listing of all the fields she was eligible for and a brief description of what each entailed. In many of the fields were smaller sub-brackets that were also further explained.

She shifted through all of them until she found exactly what she was looking for. A smile lit her face and she briefly thought of Kitakawa-sensei and the research the both of them had been working on late that night. With her field decided she eliminated the other options and waited for the pamphlets that coincided with those fields to disappear as well. Only one dropped off and she was surprised to find that she had her pick of practically any ship in the southern and western fleets.

A fizzle of excitement bounced inside her and she set about looking through each pamphlet. After searching for a good portion of her second hour her hand passed over a vivid and vibrant picture of a massive tree. Her heart stuttered for what must have been the thousandth time that morning. Pulling the picture up and all the information included she grinned. Her hands swiped at the call button and she waited patiently for the council to make their appearance.

"Miss Higurashi. Have you made your choice already?" Mr. Face asked benignly and Kagome grinned back at him.

"I have, yes." She said simply and tried to compose herself so she wouldn't bounce in place.

"Well…?"

"I'd like to be placed within the ship Eden as a biological researcher." She said confidently, her hand still placed over the picture of the large tree, and beneath the tree were the words: Goshinboku, the center of Eden, home to biological advancement.

* * *

"Why is it always stuck in my hair?" A low female voice growled and a few snickers followed.

"You don't like it then shave your head, Taijya." A snarky feminine voice floated over the sounds of people removing heavy equipment. A round of laughter echoed briefly and the retort that was hissed back didn't reach his ears, and for that Sesshomaru Taisho was vaguely grateful. Fights between his teams: Kagura Kaze and Kouga Wolfe's: Sango Taijya, had always been rather vicious. To be frank, his headache was bad enough, and he didn't need their bickering to make it worse.

"Oi, ice-pop!" Speaking of headaches.

Sesshomaru resisted the urge to sigh and give his younger half-brother any knowledge to his irritated state. Instead he turned hardened golden eyes on the idiot leaning casually against the lockers behind him. The raucous voices in the background continued as Inuyasha Taisho studied the older male. Sesshomaru arched an eyebrow and turned back to his own locker, taking the armbands off and placing them in their separate compartment.

"How did the talk with dad go?"

Sesshomaru paused abruptly in removing his boots and stared down at the floor to the right of his foot. The image of his fathers' disappointed expression crossed over his minds' eye before he quickly dismissed the memory. "None of your business, Inuyasha." He stated coldly and continued to take off the rest of his equipment before picking up his towel and heading toward the showers.

Inuyasha smirked briefly behind his brother and turned to his locker.

"Heh, you keep poking the bear and it's gonna maul ya, Inu-baka." The sarcastic voice beside him had Inuyasha snorting.

"Yeah, yeah. Just cuz you were made team leader this round, doesn't mean you can give me advice, damn wolf."

"Yeah, but bossing you around on the field sure does feel good." Kouga Wolfe said back and braced himself as Inuyasha launched at him. Both coming to blows in what was the typical ritual between the two after each mission.

Ayame Shiro, Kagura, and Sango, as being the only female's between the two teams, rolled their eyes and walked over to the second shower room. Sango picked at the green and yellow gore drying in her long ponytail.

"I'm telling you, you should just cut it off. Like I did." Kagura preened slightly as she mussed her short black hair proudly and Sango scowled at her. Kagura was slim with well-defined features and her newly shortened hair made her look more like a runway model than the soldier she was. Sango, on the other hand, looked more like a tomboy with her hair shortened, thus why she had grown it out longer. She glanced over at the other female on Kagura's team and was slightly annoyed that the girl's long red hair was just as clean as Kagura's.

"I'm not cutting my hair." Sango reiterated "Ayame, how do you keep your hair so clean?" She whined slightly as they started up their showers.

Ayame snorted slightly and lifted a brow over her shoulder at the other two. "My weapon is a whip." She stated shortly. "Not a katana like yours. I don't fight in close combat." Her tone suggested a "Duh!" At the end and Sango flushed slightly. This was only her second mission with Kouga's team and the first time she had ever worked with the only other combat unit on their small cruiser. To be honest she hadn't been paying much attention to the other team, seeing as they had actual alien enemies on this cleanup mission.

Kagura snickered slightly than slung an arm around the redhead. "Well, aren't you a princess this morning." She cooed and Ayame let out a small shriek. Sango ignored the two as she scrubbed furiously at her hair. It had better all come out.

* * *

Sesshomaru shrugged the fitted uniform over his shoulders and adjusted the cuffs of his sleeves. His thoughts were once again circling around the holo-conference he had had with his father just before they had been given their mission. He had once again asked why he had been passed over for promotion. His jaw tightened and he found himself gritting his teeth over the way his fathers' face had become perfectly blank and his eyes had assessed his irritated son.

As high general to the western fleet, Hideaki Taisho, or Inu no Taisho as he was known throughout the western forces, had knowledge beforehand of his request for promotion. Though Sesshomaru had asked the board member why his promotion had been denied, he was unsatisfied with the answer. With a disappointed sigh, the Inu no Taisho had squared his shoulders and stared right into his son's eyes.

"As you have already been told, Captain Taisho. Your failings lie within your inability to work with your team as a unit. This includes the psychic linked to you through battle." At this, Sesshomaru's eyes had narrowed. If that little worm had-

"Akitoki Hojo had no bearing on this decision." Inu no Taisho barked slightly in reprimand on where his son's thoughts were headed. "He hadn't been consulted on this at all. The decision was based off of previous performances. Or have you forgotten the twelve psychics you've gone through already?"

Sesshomaru snorted. "They were not fit to be this Sesshomaru's partner." He stated simply and Inu no Taisho again looked at him in disappointment.

"And this Inu no Taisho found you to be unfit for promotion." He said shortly as he closed out of the holo-conference and left Sesshomaru seething in an empty room. The alarm had sounded shortly after and Sesshomaru had been forced to push the issue to the side as he headed toward the locker rooms to suit up.

Reminded again of the words his father had spoken to him, Sesshomaru pulled out his screen and requested a training session with his psychic partner. The answer to his summons was long in coming and had his irritability spiking. Heading toward the training room, he put on the headgear required and picked one of the practice swords off the wall.

He stood waiting silently for the strange ticklish feeling of a psychic touch before opening himself to the idiot that was his partner.

'Ah, hello again, Taisho-sama.' The boys' nervous voice echoed strangely in his head and Sesshomaru felt the need to roll his eyes. He didn't respond to the greeting and instead began to think of the many things he felt they needed to work on.

'Your reaction time to outside stimulus is too slow.' He intoned and felt a shift in the psychic's emotional state. Ignoring what it could possibly be he began moving through simple forms, concentrating on the way the psychic focused on his energy. His eyebrows lowered and his temper spiked for the fourth time that day. 'Again.' He commanded and proceeded with the training exercise.

* * *

Kagome studied the red and purple vine in front of her, lifting the various bulbs protruding from the main stalk. It wasn't growing fruit yet, but so far it showed promise. Her excitement at the plants' progress had her shooting back up to her feet faster than she normally would have. Her balance failed her and she stumbled slightly to her left, falling into the small cart holding her tools and beakers. Her arms wrapped around the top of the cart, stabilizing both it and herself.

The laughter behind her had her straightening and glaring in the direction it was coming from. Miroku Soryu was leaning against the far wall and watching her with a smirk over his face. "Dammit, Miroku. It isn't funny." She hissed waspishly and blushed when he continued to chuckle.

"I had figured when you didn't show up for lunch you were rather preoccupied with your patients." He said in his usual mellow tone and Kagome blanched.

"Ah, crap. I'm late for lunch?" She asked wincing slightly and Miroku straightened from his lean. A mocking frown drew his lips downward slightly and he shook his head.

"My dear, you are now late for the evening meal."

Kagome winced again and put her hand behind her head, mussing up her hair. "Eheh. Whoops." She sheepishly grinned then held up her screen pointing at the scribbled notes she had written in her haste earlier. "But look! The derma-"

"Yes, yes. Your patients will still be here, slowly growing in the lab when you get back." Miroku cut her off as he walked behind her and gently pushed her toward the sliding doors leading out of the small greenhouse laboratory. "However, your stomach will not last another second, if I'm hearing it right." He chided and Kagome blushed again as her stomach voiced its' own complaints.

"To the cafeteria it is." She bemused as she shrugged off the lab coat and hung it in the cubby she had been given two years ago. As the both of them walked through the security clearance, Kagome waved to the newly appointed guard inside the small office. "Going to dinner, Taijya-san. I'll be back later."

"Not if I can help it." Miroku interjected and winked at the blushing boy in military uniform. Kagome rolled her eyes and pushed the playboy into the hall.

"Miroku, it's because you say things like that that no one takes you seriously." She narrowed her eyes at the wide innocent smile on the other psychics face. "What would your partner, Sango-san, say if she knew you were such a pervert?" Kagome casually dropped his linking partner's name and watched with internal glee at the strange expression that crossed his face.

"Ah, my lovely Sango." He said lightly to himself and Kagome stifled another giggle at the strange looks they were getting from her fellow researchers. She immediately tuned out his diatribe about the lovely Sango's many virtues and assets. Instead her mind went back to the growth rate of the plant hybrid she had been experimenting with a few minutes ago.

If all went well, she could begin testing it out in the deoxygenating chamber this week. Her growing excitement slammed to a halt when she felt a heavy arm drape over her shoulders. "Why, Higurashi-sama. I do believe you did that deliberately." Miroku murmured next to her ear and Kagome shrugged him off, covering her ear at the same time.

"Miroku! How many times do I have to tell you not the ear?!"

Miroku shrugged carelessly and placed his hand on her lower back, guiding her into the large room that was considered the cafeteria. Though it catered to any and all who came in, the only people that ate at the cafeteria were those that were single or had no family on ship. Most preferred to eat within their own units, and to be honest, Kagome much preferred eating in her room by herself. However the day that Miroku had decided they would be the best of friends, much to her confusion, he had decreed that she would not eat alone ever again. "You already spend the whole day with a bunch of plants! You need human interaction!" He had stated and then pushed her towards the cafeteria to begin what was a daily ritual.

Well, whenever she remembered to eat and he wasn't on a mission or training with his combat partner. Kagome walked over to the large panel on the far wall and surveyed her options. Beside her Miroku did the same. Both made their choices and picked up their trays when they slid out from the small compartment below the panels.

"Oden again, Kagome?" Miroku questioned and Kagome bristled slightly.

"Oden is wonderful, Miroku! Frankly, I'm astounded you can eat pizza for days on end." She snapped waving a hand to the greasy slice sitting haphazardly on the plate. Miroku grinned and shrugged.

"Pizza is wonderful, Kagome!" He mocked in falsetto as they both sat down at an empty table. Before Kagome could continue their banter, a chair beside her scraped away from the table and a brown haired boy threw himself into it, laying his head on the table. Realizing her mouth was hanging open, Kagome snapped it shut and looked over at Miroku.

Miroku stared blankly down at the boy before shaking his head in sympathy. "Another training session with Taisho-sama, Hojo?" He asked lightly and received a pitiful whimper in response. Kagome looked at Miroku in question and Miroku placed his elbows on the table, lacing his fingers under his chin.

"Hojo is the link partner to Captain Sesshomaru Taisho. The captain of the other team on the same battle cruiser as my dear Sango." Miroku explained briefly and looked down at the boy as another whimper came from him. "Oh, it couldn't have been that bad." Miroku started and jumped slightly when the younger man sat up in his seat and stared at him with his eyes blazing. Miroku belated realized there was something rather manic about his look.

"You don't know the half of it, Soryu! That man is impossible to work with! I swear if I have to hear 'stupid boy' one more time-!" He cut himself off and Kagome was horrified to realize he was about to cry.

Miroku looked around quickly at the attention Hojo was bringing to their table and raised his hands in a placating gesture. "Yes, ok, I'm sorry! Just calm down, Hojo." He hissed and paled when the boy put his head in his hands and started sobbing. Yes, ladies and gentlemen, the man in his early twenties broke down and started sobbing. Kagome stared blankly at the boy then switched her gaze to an equally disimpassioned Miroku. When their eyes met Kagome realized he wasn't going to do anything to pacify the psychic and that it was all up to her.

"Ah, Hojo, right?" Kagome hesitantly placed her hand on his back leaning slightly to the side to get him to look at her. "Uh, I'm sure Captain…Taisho didn't, um, mean to, er, insult you…?" She winced slightly and glanced to Miroku again. Miroku shook his head sagely and crossed his arms over his chest.

"No, he definitely meant it. He has a reputation for thinking all psychics are useless." He said simply and Kagome threw her spoon at him.

"Not helping, Soryu." She gritted out and Miroku grinned sheepishly, also leaning forward.

"Why don't you apply for vacation?" Miroku suggested half-heartedly and jumped back when Hojo raised his tear-streaked face with a snap. Kagome withdrew from him just as quickly and watched the boy warily.

"And who would take over for me, Soryu?! No one wanted the position when they gave it to me!" Hojo whined and Kagome felt a spark of irritation. Miroku crossed his arms again and stared down at the table in thought. His eyes wandered to Kagome's profile as she stared at Hojo in something like half formed disgust. His thoughts clicked and something like 'Eureka!' was briefly shouted in his mind.

"Kagome can take over for a week!" He exclaimed the last half of his thoughts and Kagome's head whipped to him even as Hojo's whipped to her direction.

"What?!"

"Really?!"

Both spoke at once and Miroku grinned in self-satisfaction. Kagome stood up from her chair and leaned over the table. "Miroku! I am a biological researcher! Not a battle link!" Her hands planted firmly on the table and she ignored the way Hojo deflated slightly beside her. Miroku also stood up as he warmed to the idea growing in his head.

"Yeah, but you more than passed your battle parameters in school. You told me yourself! Not to mention all the rumors about you being a prodigy!" He paused slightly and looked over at Hojo. "You should just make the suggestion to Wallace! She's in charge of the staffing in the links'." Miroku trailed off expectantly and grinned when Hojo shot to his feet and left in a hurry before Kagome snapped out of her stupor.

"Miroku-"

"Kagome, the chances of them switching you to battle linking is, at most, point one percent." He said smoothly and Kagome blinked, her mouth opening a closing.

"So why-"

"Well, it got the idiot out of hair, right?" He asked with a grin and sat back down to his rapidly cooling pizza. Kagome also sat down and stared at him in consternation.

"Dammit, Miroku. I thought you were serious!" She grumbled as she looked around for her spoon, remembering that she had thrown it at Miroku. Letting out a huff she got up to get another one.

Miroku watched her go and whispered lowly so she wouldn't hear, "I was…"

* * *

Kagome wasn't quite sure exactly how it was possible, but she found herself walking down the hallway to the linking pods to begin her week-long sub-in for Akitoki Hojo. Technically and politically speaking, this transfer was unheard of. Kagome didn't think Hojo's request would be given credence, but apparently she was wrong. The situation must have been more serious than she first thought if they had even considered, let alone gone through with, her transfer.

At her protest, she had been assured that her experiments would continue, after all her notes were all documented. The researcher left in charge was competent and she could check in whenever she wanted. It wasn't like she would be perpetually linked to the captain the whole week, and it was only for a week. It was all that this Wallace woman would allow Hojo to be on vacation for. Apparently he was going to visit his family on an Eastern fleet ship named Hircine.

'Well good for him! That no account crybaby!' Kagome raged mentally as she half paid attention to Maryann Wallace going on about the pods and everyone in the link unit. Miroku had already explained much of this when she had cornered him yesterday. Miroku was the only other psychic on Eden that was linked to anyone on that particular battle cruiser. The other psychics were on another research ship called Poseidon, so the only way to discuss things as a team was during a holo-conference after missions and any team related training.

Today it would just be her and her week-long linking partner. It was to be a four hour session so that she could learn the way her partner moved and emphasize the best way to bolster his energy. The small dossier she had been given of her partner was short and to the point. He was a sword user, utilized speed and efficiency over strength and had a short and nasty temper. Wonderful, she thought to herself.

They entered the long room where the linking pods were kept and Wallace gestured to the doors on the far side. "Pod suits and linking equipment is through those doors. You go get yourself ready and I'll set up the pods' frequency." She said smiling and Kagome smiled politely back. 'She's just doing her job. No need to cut down the middleman.' She told herself as she let go of her anger and small sense of betrayal.

As she put on a suit she never thought she'd have to wear again, Kagome felt the usual disassociation she had in school come over her. A sense of distant professionalism settled over her thoughts and she finished getting ready with the practiced movements of someone who knew what they were doing. Regardless of how she felt about being strong-armed into being a linking partner for a week, she had a job to do. And nothing was more serious a job than keeping her partner alive in battle.

* * *

Sesshomaru once again stood in the training room awaiting a psychic link. This time, however, the jeering of his brother in the background and the mutterings of both teams members slightly distracted him. None of them would even have been there if it weren't for the humiliating and slightly mortifying holo-message that had appeared over their breakfast table that morning.

Just as a loud chirp had sounded through the room, the Inu no Taisho's image had appeared and looked directly into Sesshomaru's face. "You've done it again, Captain Taisho. Your linking partner has cried off for a week of vacation due to emotional trauma. You will have a substitute for the week he is out of commission. Training is in two hours." With that the message ended and the room burst into a frenzied commotion. Sesshomaru had blinked slowly and finished his breakfast, ignoring his brother's hooted "You did it again!"

Now all of them were in the large training room ready to watch the spectacle that Sesshomaru training with yet another new partner had become. Sesshomaru felt the slight tingle that always represented a polite request and allowed himself to open to the psychic. That was where all previous similarities ended. The feeling of hands lightly brushing along his back and down his arms had him standing at attention, shivers crawling up in their wake. He stared blankly in front of himself as the sensation continued to travel down his legs and up his neck simultaneously.

A noise, like a slight indrawn breath echoed slightly in his ears, and then he heard her voice for the first time. 'Hello, Captain Taisho.' The shivers rolled over his shoulder blades again. 'My name is Kagome Higurashi.'

* * *

So, this took a lot longer than I thought it would to get out. My apologies for the wait and thank you for reading.


	3. Chapter 3

Chapter 3

It had taken Kagome all of two minutes to entirely map and dissect Sesshomaru Taisho's energy correlation. On her third minute within the link, she had already started making plans according to what she had read about his body structure and what she felt his muscles could withstand. In the fourth minute she had already started shoring up her own energies to complement his own, and by the fifth minute she had realized that Captain Taisho was, indeed, a total jerk.

'What, precisely, are you attempting to accomplish, girl?'

Kagome was woman enough to admit, even as his tone was condescending and his words rather snobbish, the timbre of his voice sent tremors down her proverbial back and caused her stomach to flutter. To cover up the lapse in silence on her part, she moved her energy down his right arm and to his hand, as if realigning herself. In her minds' eye, it looked as if she was rippling against him, and for the first time she absently wondered what it felt like for her partner.

Being the one to enter someone else, she had never really experienced linking from the other side. Sure there had been mock links created by a few telepaths during school, but it had been emphasized that a real linking for a soldier was different. A spike of irritation again immolated from her partner and Kagome brought herself back to the present. She was slightly horrified to realize that she had been…stroking Captain Taisho's energy along his neck and shoulders. Oh sweet mother of God.

Keeping her tone of voice polite and detached to hide her embarrassed mortification, Kagome explained that she was mapping his energy. 'I wouldn't be able to help much if I didn't understand how your energy flowed.' She prayed he would drop it.

Something that sounded like a small sigh echoed to her and his body shifted, as well as his energy. He was preparing to enter into his first kata, and she readied herself with him. Paying close attention to the coiling of each muscle in his arms, legs, back and chest, she pulled forth that something extra that all linkable soldiers had. The energy that only a psychic could bring out of them.

* * *

Inuyasha would be the first to admit that he thought standing in the training room with all of his teammates to watch Ice-pop link with his new psychic was boring as hell. However, it irritated the bastard that he was standing in the same room with him, so that overrode anything else. He absently stared out of the corner of his eye at his brother's seemingly lax form as he continued to loudly mock him with Kouga. Just as he was opening his mouth to loudly proclaim something that would no doubt be witty and utterly hilarious, he was startled to see Sesshomaru almost jump to attention.

Apparently he wasn't the only one, because all conversation stopped and all eyes were now watching the abnormally tensed captain in the center of the room. Inuyasha felt his eyebrow quirk slightly when what seemed to be a shiver traced up his older brothers' spine and his eyes became momentarily unfocused. Mouth still hanging open unattractively, he swung his gaze to Kouga who had a similar look on his face.

Sango shifted slightly as she studied the other teams' captain. Though she wasn't directly under him and had only worked with him on a single mission, she knew that this wasn't normal behavior for a first linking. She wondered what exactly had happened to cause the strange shiver and, what she assumed, was an inward conversation with whoever had just linked with him. He blinked and his eyes were once again focused, and intensely irritated. This was his normal look, she sighed in relief. At least nothing was wrong. With psychics involved, any number of things could have happened.

All attention shifted firmly to the captain as he smoothly slid into the beginning stance of his kata. His legs slightly bent and his hand resting comfortably on the sheathed practice sword at his side. In a movement almost too fast for their eyes to follow, he had drawn his sword and spun in place raising said sword as if in defense of an oncoming blow. Moving seamlessly into a downward strike and then across, his ponytailed hair fluttered passed in the fast momentum he was using to attack.

Kouga straightened from the slouch he had been in against the padded wall. His gaze sharpened as he picked up on what the others were still trying to process. He was faster and more controlled then Kouga had ever seen in. In training or on the battle field. His eyes watched intently as he studied the practiced and somewhat ruthless motions of the dulled blade. His heart rate sped up as he finally saw what had caught his attention at the back of his mind.

Both the blade and Sesshomaru's arm were lined with what appeared to be a thin sheath of blue energy. A savage grin broke across his face as he watched the other captain move from form to form in anticipation. Whoever this psychic was, they were good. Pulling out his screen, Kouga continued to watch Sesshomaru's movements for break in form or concentration. His excitement ratcheted up a notch as he pulled the strings of his impromptu plan tightly together.

He straightened from the wall altogether and took a step forward, meeting the predatory eyes of Sesshomaru with his own. He placed his screen in his jacket pocket even as the red acceptance message flashed across it.

"It's no fun if you're just swinging around your sword." Kouga started, the sarcasm heavy in his voice as he hyped himself up. "How about we have a little spar?" He asked cheekily as he stretched his arm across his chest and then switched to stretch the other one. Though he normally fought with his fists, his suit fitted with titanium alloy knuckles, he knew his way around a sword pretty well. In the past he could even say he could hold his own against the Taisho prodigy. He was curious to see if that still stood.

Sesshomaru didn't respond verbally, but he had stood from his current kata and faced Wolfe squarely. His eyes burned a bright amber as he watched the other man step over to the wall that held the practice weapons and take down his own saber. He felt her move against him again, and it was enough to bring him back from the high he had been on. The sheer amount of power and control he felt when they had both moved in tandem had raised his level of adrenaline and anticipation to a near fevered pitch.

As they had gone from one form to another he had realized his focus was near absolute. He could see clearly, in his mind and outside, exactly how to move and at what speed he would be able to accomplish what he wanted to. He was aware that they were moving at speeds he had never reached before with any other psychic. As he attacked and counterattacked invisible foes, the novelty of the situation simmered down and a feral excitement had risen to take its place.

This is what he could do. This is what he was supposed to be, he thought to himself. A feeling of pride had suffused his entire being, until she had moved against his energy. He was brought back to himself just as he heard Kouga's challenge. Calming the firestorm currently raging inside of himself, Sesshomaru slid effortlessly into a relaxed stance, his eyes never leaving Kouga. Her hands were sliding along his arms and down his legs, and he belatedly realized she was relaxing his muscles even as she was keeping them ready for movement.

Another shiver of sensation threatened to snake up his back, but Sesshomaru held it at bay. He had already shown outward effects of what her energy did to him, and he couldn't understand why he was reacting the way he was. At first he thought it was something she was actively trying to do, but after snapping at her in suspicion and analyzing her response, both verbally and emotionally, he found her to be rather detached. This, for some unknown reason had irritated him.

Her voice was soft and clear. Her tone aloof and professional. Though he could feel she had emotions, they were held from him as if behind a flexible barrier. It was all he wanted from a psychic partner, but he felt strangely unsatisfied. As he waited for Kouga to link with his own partner, Sesshomaru contemplated exactly what it was he was unsatisfied with.

He took a readied stance as Kouga grinned and got into position himself. Both eyed each other from across the padded room rolling back their shoulders and awaiting a silent signal to begin. He felt her energy slide down his arms and circle around his calves and the answer to his inner question came to him. He didn't like the fact that she was unaffected by him. Here he was feeling…whatever the hell this was and she was…not.

A scowl crossed his lips, too brief to be caught by the teammates playing spectators, but Kouga had caught it. He wondered what exactly had broken through the marble statues' usual barricade of ice before pushing it from his mind entirely. 'Alright, Hakaku. Are you ready?' He mentally asked his linking partner.

'Let's take him down, bro.' Hakaku laughed back and Kouga felt his grin widen even further.

Sesshomaru pushed the confusing issues he was having with his emotions back and slid to the side as Kouga came at him with a vertical strike. The match had begun and it wouldn't do to be distracted by such trivialities. He was determined to find out just how much he could do, now that he had all his power to play with.

* * *

Kagome frowned to herself as she monitored the emotional as well as physical stimulus her partner was experiencing. His excitement and anticipation was easy enough to balance as all soldiers felt this during a link in battle. It was always a heady rush when you were able to access parts of yourself you normally couldn't in any other moment. Being able to call upon the energy and direct it to where her partner needed it the most was one of the many jobs a psy-link partner was supposed to do.

Fine-tuning that energy and compounding it with her own was what made the physical representation of said energy lethal to the alien race they warred against.

Baasratu. It was what they called themselves. To humanity, it was a curse word. Since the start of the war, nearly five hundred years prior, mankind had struggled to understand exactly why and what they were fighting. No one knew what had started the aggression between the two races, but everyone well remembered when it had escalated beyond any kind of reparation.

Humanity had just started expanding their wings into the vast territory of space. Rudimentary ships and several small space stations had just been launched and made hospitable. People, those privileged enough to have money, had begun to migrate into the stations, when the discovery of an alien race had made itself known to be rather close by. Naturally curiosity, as well as a healthy dose of caution, had prompted humanities leaders to reach out to this other race.

No one was really sure where things went wrong. Speculation and biases had written in their own histories, but it was all conjecture. All that was known as fact was not long after making contact with this alien race, these Baasratu, their home planet, Earth, had been completely destroyed. Not by invasion or anything of that nature. No, according to the annuls that kept eyewitness accounts of that day, a large Baasratu ship had released what looked to be a black hole that had swallowed the planet whole. If the witnesses could be believed, the black hole had then disappeared before their eyes, leaving nothing but the moon behind.

This had, of course sparked a heated debate between many that still raged to this day. How could a black hole suck in _only_ the planet Earth and not affect the moon? Where exactly would it have disappeared to? If it was, indeed, a black hole, wouldn't that mean that the Earth could possibly be located somewhere else in the universe? With no answers forthcoming, all anyone had was speculation.

Kagome forced herself to focus on the spar when she noticed the energy waves of whoever Captain Taisho was fighting falter. Though she couldn't "see" in the traditional sense of the word, she was able to "feel" the energy of anyone within a certain distance to her partner. She knew that there were currently five other people in the room with the captain, three females and two males. The male they were currently testing themselves with was psy-linked, but Kagome couldn't tell how powerful the psychic was.

A wave of smug pride swamped her senses momentarily and Kagome realized her partner was getting a little carried away. Paying close attention to how they were beating back their opponent, Kagome "watched" as the other combatant was brought to their knees. A flash of cold dread hit her when she realized that though their opponent was not fighting back anymore, Taisho had no notion of stopping his assault.

Deciding that enough was enough, Kagome called the energy she had infused his sword arm with back.

* * *

Sesshomaru felt it the minute she had stopped the energy in his arm. His nerveless fingers released the hilt of the sword and for a minute, it felt as if he had no arm at all. Standing there in stunned silence, breath coming out in light pants, Sesshomaru tried to jump start his thought process. He blinked slowly and straightened from the lunge he had been about to complete. It allowed him enough time to gather in his surroundings and understand that for a moment there, he hadn't been thinking during the fight with Kouga.

He had been running on his instincts and the feel of the power he had at his command.

Looking over to his opponent, he took stock of his injuries. Kouga crouched before him on the ground, sword a few feet to his right, and one hand placed before him for balance. Small nicks and cuts littered his arms, face and hands. A large bruise was already growing on his left cheek and his nose was bleeding.

"Hot damn, Taisho!" Kouga wheezed out between breaths. "I couldn't even follow your movements toward the end!" He looked up at the silver haired captain and grinned around the pain in his face.

Sesshomaru "hn"-ed noncommittedly and looked away from Wolfe and glanced toward the others in their teams. All four of them looked rather comically shocked. Inuyasha in particular had his mouth gapping open stupidly.

'Are you back to yourself?' The calm voice of his partner reached him and Sesshomaru felt the need to growl.

'I was never anyone else.' He groused back and was disappointed when all he felt from her were muted emotions he couldn't decipher. 'What did you do? Why did you stop me?' He asked, more for clarification to her thoughts than any real need to know.

'This was only a practice spar to test our strength, not a battle against our enemy.' She answered simply and Sesshomaru pushed the pleased feeling he got when she referred to them as a single unit to the back of his mind. 'It would have been pointless brutality to continue as you wanted.' Irritation and disappointment suffused the last sentence and Sesshomaru latched onto that emotion. She wasn't as detached as she pretended to be.

'And you felt it was your right to go against this Sesshomaru's better judgement?' He asked imperiously and was rewarded with a full blast of irritation.

' _This_ Kagome felt _that_ Sesshomaru's judgement making skills were rather lacking!' Her voice rolled over him in what felt like waves, many emotions riddled throughout. This was how she should sound, he decided, not detached and unmoved. He kept his body's response to hearing her voice to a minimum, ignoring what she was saying as she continued to rant. Only really picking up the end of her diatribe.

'…hurting the poor guy the way you did!?'

'Hn.' He felt a smile twitch at his lips when she seemed to explode at his short answer. Being linked to one Kagome Higurashi was looking to be a rather interesting experience.

* * *

Kagome climbed out of the pod, still muttering to herself. "Pig-headed, sexist, idiotic…jerk!" She ignored the way her hair stuck to her arm as she disconnected a few of the electrodes stuck to her temples and neck. The gel never left a person wet when it was drained from the pod. Instead it coated whoever was inside with what felt like a waxy texture. Kagome always likened it with if someone had rubbed her down with a melted crayon. Making sure everything was put away properly and promising to go over her linking experience with Wallace after her shower, Kagome headed toward the small locker room to hang up her suit.

Standing under the hot spray of water, Kagome was relieved when the waxy left over gel immediately washed down the drain. One good thing about that stuff was it was easily removed. Reaching over to the regulated soap and shampoo provided by the research and development department, Kagome allowed the irritation she was still feeling to dissolve. Though she would be partners with the jerk, it was only a week. She could make it to the end…besides, they might not even get a mission while she was filling in.

Nodding in satisfaction over her quick thinking, and ignoring the flash of disappointment she felt for some odd reason, Kagome left her shower with her usual smile on her face. The post-linking interrogation, as Kagome called it, with Wallace ended swiftly and Kagome made her way to the cafeteria. She was starving and she had promised Miroku to spill all the details at lunch.

* * *

Hideaki Taisho watched the first linking and subsequent practice spar of his eldest son with intent eyes. When he had been notified that a Miss Higurashi would be a substitute psy-link for Hojo, he had jumped on the chance offered to him. Of course he knew who Kagome Higurashi was. All ship captains were aware of the psychic. Have been since the first round of testing results were reported when she was fifteen.

When she had chosen to become a biological researcher, the Inu no Taisho felt the same deflation as many others had, however she had also chosen a ship within his fleet. Though it wasn't as ideal as he had hoped there was still possibility. Plans had been made and people were shifted about. If any were to question why Sesshomaru's newest linking partner just so happened to be on the same ship as Miss Higurashi, it would be easy enough to feign ignorance. That things had fallen so easily in line with his plans made the Inu no Taisho a little wary.

Coincidences rarely happened when psychics were involved. Especially around psychics as powerful as Kagome Higurashi. Inu no Taisho wondered if perhaps someone else's machinations were involved in this. His musings were cut short as a sharp chime sounded from his office door. Sitting up in his chair, he swiped the holo-video down and promised to watch the rest later. He pressed the switch at the corner of his desk and watched as his wife walked into the room with practiced ease.

Izayoi Taisho smiled beatifically up at her husband as she made her way to his desk. "You skipped out on lunch again, darling." She said as she hefted the small basket in her arms onto the desk's top. Inu no Taisho sighed and grinned charmingly back at her.

"Whatever would I do without you?"

* * *

So, normally I don't write author's notes but I felt I had to this time around. I would just like to express my gratitude to all of those that have left such glowing reviews. It takes a lot of courage to post what I've written and the amount of time, research and emotion that has gone into it. No this isn't based off of a book somewhere, this is strictly what I've thought up myself, but it made me happy that it was so well received. Thank you to you all!


	4. Chapter 4

Chapter Four

Kimiko stared at the documents spread out before her. Her eyes narrowed as she pinpointed certain consistencies. A small smirk curled her lips as she swiped the documents back into the folder that had been sent to her and started a communications line with an old…acquaintance. As she waited for the line to connect, she sat up straighter in her chair and did a quick cursory glance in the far mirror at her appearance. Perfection, as usual.

A small chirp brought her gaze back to her screen as a well-known face stared back. "Well, well, well." She cooed softly, her smirk widening a bit. "We have been busy, haven't we Inu no Taisho." She allowed a pause as the stern face briefly cracked into guilt. The man never could hide his feelings well.

"I don't know what you're talking about." He answered shortly as he regained control of his facial expressions. Kimiko allowed her eyes to narrow even as her smirk stayed in place.

"Tell me, Inu no Taisho," She continued as if he hadn't even spoken, "how it came to be that Kagome Higurashi has been paired with my son."

* * *

Kagome rolled her shoulders back and stretched her arms slightly. It was only five, but she figured she could get in some time at her lab before going to the psychic meeting at ten. Her feet padded softly on the carpeted flooring to the small bathroom put in every single personnel's unit. The small door whooshed open and she blearily stumbled into the shower jammed in the corner. Pressing the on switch the shower started up at the prerecorded temperature she preferred.

As she woke up fully in the shower, Kagome was startled that her thoughts swung immediately to memories of the linking escapade of yesterday. Thinking of Captain Taisho, brought shivers of recollection about his voice. The low timbre that, if he wasn't such a narcissistic ass, could bring many a girl to their knees. Determinably pushing those thoughts to the back of her mind she instead analyzed his energy structure.

When they had first linked she had been slightly surprised at the amount of energy the captain had to work with. Due to the fact that she had read exactly what his station was, she wasn't expecting anything great. Even the notes from the previous psychics that had linked with Taisho hadn't made any remarks to the amount he could control. If anything many of them had labeled him as rather average.

Now, Kagome admitted, she hadn't joined up with the linking psychics, so maybe she didn't have enough experience in actual combat. However she had linked with several volunteers in school. None of them had ever come near what Sesshomaru Taisho had. At the time of her link with Taisho, she had made notes and pushed them back to think about later. When she had gotten out of the pod and made her report to Wallace, she had still been distracted by her irritation with the man to question anything.

But here, in her bathroom, under the soothing hot water, Kagome allowed her mind to roam. Clearly, Sesshomaru Taisho was extremely powerful. Any psychic should have been able to deduce that, the operative word being should. Why didn't any of the previous psychics pick up on his energy properly? Sure it ran to a darker place on the spectrum than usual, but it was still able to ping on her radar. Not to mention, the man was highly skilled in weaponry. Briefly joined to his mind when he was losing himself during the spar had allowed her to grasp the fact that, even though he was running on instinct, he never stopped thinking of the perfect time to use what move.

This brought up the question she was almost afraid to think, simply because of the implications of what it could all mean. If Sesshomaru was so highly skilled in weaponry and battle tactics, not to mention who his father was, than why was he relegated to clean up work on a backwater battle cruiser on the fringes of the main fleet? Regardless of how little energy another psychic could pull from him, any energy, combined with his skill, could be lethal in a battle. The excuse of his attitude and reluctance to work with anyone didn't fly for her either.

There were specific jobs in the military factions that were practically made for him. She wasn't really supposed to know that though. Each branch of humanity taught their own principles and job coding. Civilians learned what they could do, but weren't told what psychic's or those in the military were fully able to do. It was the same in all classes. Psychics learned through their courses that, not only were they able to link with someone in the military, but that they also had individual abilities that set them apart even from themselves.

While some of those abilities were widely known by the public, there were a few kept hidden, even among the psychics. There were those that could communicate with others with their minds, those that could create physical manifestations in the right conditions, such as fire or water and even wind. Those that could connect with machinery and flow along electrical currents. Kagome was positive that she didn't know the half of it.

In the military, there were jobs that were also hidden. The one that Kagome had accidentally been given knowledge of hadn't really surprised her, but she could guess why they would remain hidden from the public. After all, no one wanted to know that the military trained and employed assassins. Stumbling upon that revelation during her third linking trial run had startled Kagome to the point she had almost dropped the link.

The elderly volunteer had spoken softly and seemed like such a kind old man. While manipulating his energy, Kagome had commented that despite his age, he was still rather fit and his muscles tightly coiled. The old man had chuckled back and said that every assassin kept in top shape, even the old ones. Kagome had thought he was joking and when she had laughed about it, the old man had let it pass. But as their training had gone on, Kagome had started to doubt herself. The way the man moved and how he had wanted to direct his energy wasn't like the other two soldiers she had linked with before.

'My apologies, Miss Higurashi. I thought for sure you would have been debriefed before our linking.' He had said soothingly when Kagome had hesitantly brought it up again. 'I was told that due to the level of success in your manipulation of energy, they had wanted you to train with many different types of military personnel.' He explained and Kagome had dropped it to think on it further.

After she had cut the link and left her pod, she had sought out Kitakawa-sensei. The older woman had looked slightly guilty when she admitted that, yes, there were many different kinds of military out there and the majority of them technically didn't exist. So again, Kagome wondered why Sesshomaru Taisho wasn't put into the assassin category when he clearly should have been.

Drying her hair absently and putting on her laboratory uniform, Kagome decided that ruminating on it wouldn't do her any good. Besides, she was on her way to check on her baby. She wondered if any of the bulbs would show signs of blooming yet.

* * *

Rin Inoue bit into her thumbnail as she stared at the strange plant before her. It was only her second day interning in the small bio-lab and her mentor had called in sick. The researcher that had taken the night shift had transferred three different biopsies into her screen and had left mumbling something about purple roots and strange smells. There was no one else in the lab and if she was to believe the roster posted by the door, no one would be in again until four… except her and what should have been her mentor.

"Dang it, Micah. Why'd you pick today of all days to be sick!?" She exclaimed quietly to herself as she again looked from the plant to the rather long report in her hands. The fifteen year old glanced nervously around the room again and shuffled her feet slightly. 'Maybe I should just leave for today?' She asked herself as she slowly headed back to the doors leading out of the room. Just as she was reaching her hand up to the biometric lock, the door whooshed open and Rin met with startled blue eyes.

Kagome looked down into the scared face of the girl in front of her and laughed sheepishly. "Ah, sorry to scare you!" She smiled and offered the girl her hand. "Kagome Higurashi. I'm the researcher currently growing the plants in this particular hothouse."

Rin's shoulders drooped in relief and she grasped onto Kagome's hand as if it were a lifeline.

"Oh, thank you." She muttered looking up at the ceiling before she directed a smile at the young woman in front of her. "Rin Inoue. I'm an intern from the learning center. My mentor, Micah Rozzen, called in sick and I was just thinking I have no idea what I'm doing!" She shook Kagome's hand in both of hers up and down as she continued on rambling. "I really like working with flowers so I was so excited to get this internship in this lab, especially because this lab is devoted to new kinds of growth techniques and different ways to terraform inhospitable planets! It's only my second day and the guy that was here last night just gave me the reports and left and I had no clue what I should be doing! The militia guard, Mr. Kohaku, didn't know what I was supposed to do either, so I thought I should look at the plants first, but the reports were so confusing!"

Kagome knew her mouth was hanging open, and the fact that her shoulders were jerking due to the shaking of her arm, but she couldn't help but stare at the little chatterbox in front of her. Ignoring exactly what was being said, Kagome instead studied the excited teenager in front of her. Large sparkling brown eyes and a wide smile, even at the rate that words were dropping from it. Kagome dug into her talent a bit and examined Rin's energy. A stab of disappointment hit her before she shoved it away when she realized the girl didn't have a psychic imprint. A civilian then.

Though Kagome wasn't biased like many psychics she knew, it would have been easier to show a psychic how to take care of the particular plants in her lab. The fact that Micah hadn't told her she wouldn't be in to take care of her babies irritated her. Finally extracting her numbing hand from the exuberant girl, Kagome shook off all negative feelings and grinned at Rin.

"Well, I planned on being in here for a bit to check on my babies, so if you're alright with a sub, I can show you how to check the progress of each plant."

Rin let out a small squeal and bounced in place. Kagome took that as an affirmative and held up her screen to the girls. "Here, transfer what you got to me and we can start going through what Jess was up to last night."

"Jess?" Rin asked, quickly transferring the reports over.

"Yeah, Jessup Rodgers. He's the guy that had night shift last night. Everyone just calls him Jess." Kagome answered absently as she looked over the readings that Jess had taken of the vined plant she had been hoping to experiment with in the new deoxygenating chambers. 'A strange odor from the roots?' Her eyebrows scrunched as she walked around the teenager and approached the purple and green plant. As she got closer, a cloyingly sweet smell reached her nose and Kagome immediately covered the lower half of her face. Putting a hand out, she told Rin to head out the door.

"Miss Kagome? What's wrong?" Rin asked as she backed toward the door as she was told. Kagome backed up with her and both females exited the lab. Turning quickly to the double doors on the other side of the detox chamber, Kagome pressed on the intercom button to call the guard stationed outside the lab. Rin pressed slightly against the wall as the door to the lab shut.

Kohaku Taijya's face appeared in the small screen above the call button, his face scrunched slightly in confusion.

"Is there a problem, Miss Higurashi?"

Kagome nodded her head slightly, but allowed a tight smile. "Just a small one, Taijya. One of my plants is releasing poison from its roots." Kagome ignored the gasp from Rin, "While it's not toxic as of right now, it will be if it's not taken care of right away. Would you do me a favor and get ahold of the engineer in charge of the growth pods? I think one of them malfunctioned last night and the regulations I had put on the plant are not on right now."

Kohaku gave a sharp nod and the screen went blank. Kagome turned to Rin. "Alright. Now we need to suit up." She said cheerily and Rin stared at her blankly. Kagome turned to the masks and overly large hazard material suits hanging on the side of the room. Starting to put on the suit, Kagome glanced up and gestured for Rin to do the same.

"Come on Rin, the fun starts from here!" Kagome said brightly and Rin gave her another weird look.

"The fun?" She asked hesitantly as she stepped into her suit and then zipped the back of Kagome's suit up, turning so the same could be done to hers.

"Yep. This is the part where we go and find out why the plant is producing poison from the roots."

"And that's fun?" Rin asked disbelievingly and put the large mask over her head. Kagome checked over both of their suits and nodded in satisfaction.

"Well, not in the literal sense." Kagome allowed, "But I like it when I get to check over things like this." She smiled reassuringly at the nervous teenager. "Don't worry, the toxin this plant produces is not strong enough to seriously harm a human being."

Rin nodded her head in understanding and both turned towards the door to go back into the lab. Kagome headed in first, and Rin didn't know why, but she was expecting to see a purple miasma floating around in the place, now that she knew there was poison. Or alarms to be going off, or something. Instead everything was just as they had left it a few minutes ago. For being an emergency about poisonous fumes, this was surprisingly anti-climactic.

Kagome glanced to the girl beside her and laughed. "Not as thrilling as the movies, huh?" She asked and watched as Rin blushed. Both headed down the row of strange plants to a plant that was sitting by itself in a separate block from everything else. Its long purple and green vines extended over the sides of the machine, known as a growth pod, nearly touching the floor. On each of the ropey vines were a handful of what looked to be bulbs growing at random intervals. The vines themselves looked to be attached to what Rin thought was a large blue mossy rock.

As they got closer, she was startled to realize that the blue moss was actually really small blue leaves, almost like a bunch of small three-leaf clovers. They were so densely grown together they looked like a solid object.

Kagome lifted one of the vines on the side and shifted it over so she could read the monitor attached to the pod. As she had suspected, some of the readouts were off. Letting out a small sigh she glanced to the vine in her hand.

"What is this exactly?" Rin asked after a few minutes and Kagome looked up from the bulb she had been inspecting.

"Ah, it's a kind of fruit plant." She answered hesitatingly. Rin turned from staring into the blue leaves to look at Kagome.

"A… fruit plant?"

"Yes. Although, it hasn't grown any fruit yet. That's why I want to put it in the deoxygenating chamber sometime this week. I think that it will bloom, and thus grow fruit, once the oxygen levels are lowered." Kagome explained as she gently set the vine down and stood from the crouch she had been in. Just as she was opening her mouth to further explain, a sharp chirp rang from her screen and Kagome lifted it to her face.

Kohaku's face looked back at her before he announced that the engineer was here and would be entering the room momentarily.

"Thanks Taijya. Sorry for the trouble." Kagome answered and ended the communication line. Rin looked back to the plant.

"How do you know it will bear fruit?"

Kagome stilled as her mind raced over how to answer her question. She generally went with vague responses like research or some such thing. But the truth was, she could see what this plant was capable of due to her ability to read and manage energy. However, Kagome had never told anyone, not even Kitakawa-sensei, about how she could manipulate all energies around her, not just a human being's energy. A little voice inside her, that she was sure was her intuition, told her to keep it all to herself. After all, she had enough talent in other areas to hide this one ability of hers. Besides, it wasn't like she was using it for anything illegal or heinous.

Kagome breathed a sigh of relief when the door opened and saved her from having to reply. Her head swung in the direction of the door and she took in the fact that the small figure heading towards them in the same kind of suit as the both of them was the engineer. As the engineer got closer, Kagome realized this person was a lot shorter than either of the girls.

"What happened to my pod?!" A high pitched voice reached Kagome's ears and she realized that even though it was high in anger, it was a male voice coming from the suit. Kagome waited for the short figure to reach them and stared into bright green eyes. Her eyebrow rose in irritation and she leaned forward slightly, her hand on top of the pod next to the plant.

"I have no idea. I was hoping you could explain what your pod has done to my plant."

The green eyes behind the plastic mask widened slightly and then narrowed again. Small grumbles came from the short boy, and Kagome was sure it was a boy, as he stepped around her and crouched to look at the monitor near the floor. He made a few tsk-ing sounds as he opened another panel on the floor and set to poking around the wires. Kagome held herself back from making any comments and instead gave him his space.

No need to heckle the boy, she told herself as she went to stand by Rin to watch him work. After a few minutes, there was a soft beep and the pod beside them whirred to life. Kagome watched as the soil her plant sat in churned slowly and then settled. The boy closed the panel and stood up. "There. Fixed." He said shortly and started to stomp out of the lab.

Frowning darkly, Kagome followed. All three of them entered the detox room and kagome removed her mask, shaking out her hair slightly. Rin followed her example and backed away from the look on the older girls face. Kagome waited for the boy to remove his mask and blinked at the long tail of red hair that spilled out over the back of his suit. He turned around, as if sensing her stare and Kagome realized that he was just a kid.

"Geez, how old are you?" She asked before she could stop herself and the boy's frown turned into a scowl.

"Look, lady. It doesn't matter what my age is! I received all my training and I know what I'm doing!" He nearly shouted as he turned and jammed the mask onto its peg. Kagome put her own mask on the wall and scowled right back.

"I never said you didn't!" She shot back and presented her back for Rin to unzip her. "I was asking because you are really young to be working already."

The boy snorted and yanked off his suit, hurrying to hang it back up so he could leave. Kagome grabbed his shoulder before he could get to the biometric scanner. "Wait, I'm sorry." She sighed. "It's been a long couple of days and I was really worried about my plant." She let go of the fact that he had snapped at her first.

The boy turned to scrutinize her expression, trying to see if she was sincere. He let out a breath and dropped the tension in his frame. "I'm sorry too." He admitted grudgingly and looked away from her sudden grin with a blush. She was a very pretty girl, after all.

"Great! I'm Kagome, and this is Rin. What's your name?"

"Shippo. Shippo Shiruba."

"Alright then, Shippo. I've got a couple questions for you! Do you mind coming to grab breakfast with us while we wait for the toxin to dissipate?" Kagome asked benignly as she input the correct passcode for the alarms in the lab. Once the oxygen was purified to safe levels, she would be notified on her screen.

"Breakfast?!"

"I already ate."

Both Rin and Shippo answered at the same time and looked toward each other. Kagome chuckled to herself and placed a hand on both of their shoulders, steering them out the doors and into the small reception room that connected all four labs in this sector of the ship. "Well, I haven't eaten yet and we can't do anything until the labs purified." Kagome pointed out to Rin. "And you can just tell your supervisor that you were fixing the pod this whole time." She said to Shippo and ignored any balking he did.

Both looking like they were run over by ponies, Rin and Shippo found themselves marched into the cafeteria.

* * *

Kagome looked up from the plant she had been observing with Rin at the sound of someone clearing their throat. Leaning in his customary position by the door, Miroku raised any eyebrow at the bemused expression on his friends face.

"Don't tell me you forgot we have a meeting with the other members of our team." He said lifting an eyebrow and Kagome let out a low groan. Beside her Rin let out a small giggle, trying not to stare at the attractive man in the doorway. She blushed all the way to her ears when he winked at her. Kagome straightened from her stooped position and placed a hand on her lower back, soothing the aching muscles.

"Dang. I did." She said as she glanced to the girl beside her. "Well, Rin. Guess we're ending the lesson here for today. This was the last we had to check on anyway."

Rin smiled up at the older girl and nodded her head. "Yeah, it's been pretty exciting today. I sure did learn a whole lot. Thanks again, Miss Kagome!" She chirped brightly and Kagome couldn't resist mussing her hair.

"Exciting?" Miroku asked as he stepped out of the way so Rin could leave the lab. Kagome groaned again and swiped the reports on her screen into a separate file and placed them into the outgoing screen on the wall by the door.

"Yeah. My baby got sick and started secreting poison from its roots."

Miroku stared down at her blankly and Kagome laughed. "Never mind! Come on, Miroku! We're gonna be late!" She teased as she pulled his arm with her out the door. Miroku shook his head and followed with heavy feet.

"I don't know what's more worrisome about that sentence. The fact that you refer to the plant as your baby or that it was secreting poison." He mumbled to himself as Kagome hung up her lab coat. She let out another laugh and walked with him out into the reception room.

"Yeah, yeah. Lead on, oh fearless leader." She said imperiously and Miroku threw his arm around her shoulders.

"As my lady commands."

The both of them continued their banter all the way to the conference room set aside for their meeting. Kagome hesitated briefly in front of the doors and Miroku quirked an eyebrow at her. "Are you nervous?" He asked incredulously and Kagome elbowed him in the side.

"So what if I am!" She growled back at him and Miroku chuckled.

"The great Higurashi scared of a room full of people she doesn't know?!"

"Not a room full of people. A room full of projections of people." She corrected with her nose in the air and then let her prissy image fade.

Miroku hooked his arm around her again and jostled her into his side. "Aw, c'mon Kags. You know me. And I told you Kikyo was gonna be here." He said consolingly and Kagome let out a sigh. At the mention of her cousin, Kagome felt butterflies in her stomach. She hadn't talked to Kikyo since before her cousin's graduation…

Shrugging his shoulders Miroku pushed the girl into the room before himself and directed her toward one of the chairs at a long semi-circular table. Both sat down and Kagome nearly jumped out of her chair when the door opened again and Wallace came bustling in. She sat down in the chair next to Miroku and grinned over at the both of them.

"Phew! Just made it!" She exclaimed and both were saved from having to comment as the projectors flared to life and Kagome found herself staring at five other people. Her eyes scanned over and quickly met a pair of brown ones set in a nearly identical face.

"Hello, Kagome. It's been a while."

Kikyo's voice was still cool and calm, just how she remembered it to be. Smiling back awkwardly, Kagome folded her arms on top of the table. "It's good to see you, Kikyo." She said almost bashfully back and kicked Miroku's ankle when he snickered.

Hakaku wasn't afraid to admit that the girl projected in front of him was not what he was expecting at all. From what he had felt and witnessed when he had been linked to Kouga, he had been expecting some sort of body builder. Which, in hindsight, was completely ridiculous. She was a psychic, not a militaristic, protein guzzling, freak. Hell, it had even said on what little of her profile he could hack that she was a botanist. If anything he should have been expecting a frazzled, bespectacled, little mouse. Neither of which could have prepared him for the blue-eyed vision of loveliness that shyly introduced herself to the rest of them.

Beside him, Hakaku heard Naraku shift as he swung his gaze toward Kikyo sitting on the far end of the table.

"Why, Kikyo. I didn't know you had a twin sister. I thought Kaede was your only sibling." His voice came out like an oil slick and Hakaku also swung his gaze to the quiet psychic. His brow scrunched as he looked from the poised woman sitting to his far left and the fidgeting beauty in front of him. Sure they had some similarities, but he wouldn't have called them twins.

Kikyo looked over at the smug grin painting Naraku's face and allowed a smirk of her own to tip the corners of her mouth. "She's my cousin, Mr. Hadani." She said softly and inclined her head to Kagome. "Though we were as close as sisters once." She looked away from her blue eyes and down at the table. The rift between them had been her fault, but she knew Kagome would blame herself for it.

Clearing his throat loudly to dispel the sudden tension in the room, Stephan Mallory looked to the new member of their team, however temporary. "I must say it is rather nice to meet you, Miss Higurashi!" He said a little too cheerfully and he winced slightly when many of the rooms' occupants jumped. "I was especially impressed with the remarkable way you and Captain Taisho managed to get on." He continued, lowering his voice a decibel.

All eyes swung to Kagome and she had the sudden urge to swallow, regardless of how dry her mouth had gotten. "Ah." She said noncommittedly and glanced over at Miroku. For his part, the idiot was staring at her like the rest of them. She kicked him in the ankle again and he sat up straight looking over to Hakaku.

"So, how's Wolfe doing?" He asked quickly and Hakaku scratched the back of his head glancing at Kagome.

"Well, after you and Taisho kicked his ass," Hakaku grinned at the wince Kagome sent his way, "he spent the night in the infirmary. Jakotsu was so excited to get to watch over him all night." Every male in the room and Miroku flinched slightly and crossed their legs uncomfortably. Kagome blinked and looked over at Kikyo, the only other female psychic on the team. Kikyo shook her head and covered the smile threatening to creep over her face.

"Ha. Ayame felt it was just desserts." The last psychic leaned forward and grinned at Kagome. "Hi, I'm Ginta Kaiyo, Hakaku's older brother. I'm Ayame Shiro's psy-link partner. Naraku Hadani over there is Kagura Kaze's psy-link partner. The both of us are on your immediate team." Ginta explained and Kagome smiled back at him.

Hakaku felt a brief stab of jealousy as the pretty girl smiled at his stupid older brother and kicked him in the leg when it looked like he was going to hit on her. Miroku, also catching the flirty look on Ginta's face, shifted subtly closer to Kagome's side, narrowing his eyes when they met with dark brown. Ginta straightened in his chair and looked over at Mallory to start the meeting.

"Ah yes. So to start off, we would like to do a small exercise tomorrow morning. Wallace, if you would like to explain the regimen we came up with this morning?"

"Of course!"

* * *

Kouga held his screen close to his face and tried to keep from growling. This was the fifth time he had attempted to call Hakaku on a communications line. If he didn't pick up this next time around he was gonna-

His threat cut off as the screen flashed and Hakaku's bleary eyes came into focus. He yawned and rubbed at his right eye as he squinted with his left into the screen. "Kouga is that you?" He asked in a voice that told Kouga the guy had been sleeping.

"You idiot! You forgot!" Kouga nearly yelled and Hakaku jumped staring at his angry partner in confusion.

"Forgot what?" He asked slowly frowning at the flaring nostrils on Kouga's face.

"What were you supposed to do after the meeting, Hakaku?" Kouga asked slowly in a falsely helpful way. Hakaku slapped a hand to his forehead and stood up, taking the screen with him.

"Oh man! I almost forgot to send my uniforms in for cleaning! Thanks for reminding me, Kouga!"

Kouga stared blankly down at his screen as the communications line cut off. For a few minutes he couldn't seem to make himself react to what had just happened. He raised a shaking hand to his screen and just as he was about to call Hakaku again, the acceptance message flashed and he swiped his hand over it.

Hakaku's wide eyed stare connected with his and a litany of apologies and excuses came through the line. "I'm sorry I forgot! A lot happened! I was going to call you right away but-"

"Enough!" Kouga growled and rubbed a hand over his face. "Just tell me how it went. Did you meet this chick?"

There was only silence that met his question and Kouga peeled his hand off of his face to look down at his screen to make sure Hakaku hadn't disconnected again. His eyes narrowed and his nose wrinkled when he was met with a weird glassy-eyed look. Hakaku let out some sort of strange sigh and seemed to deflate onto his bed.

"Ah, she's an angel, Kouga." He said in a creepy dreamy voice and Kouga felt goosebumps crawl up his arms.

"Hakaku! Focus!" Kouga snapped and shook his screen, imagining it was his partner's neck. Hakaku blinked leisurely up at his screen and a weird smile pasted his lips. "Ah, Kouga. She has the prettiest blue eyes I've ever seen." He whispered and Kouga felt the goosebumps crawl up his neck.

"Hakaku! You weren't supposed to be flirting with some chick! I told you to check out Taisho's new partner so we could bait him with stuff he doesn't know! Now how ugly was she? Was she a body builder like we thought?"

Hakaku, now completely out of his daze stared at his screen in consternation. 'Oh yeah.' He thought to himself. 'It was Kouga's idea that she was a body builder.' Shaking himself slightly he looked back into Kouga's face.

"That's what I'm trying to tell you, Kouga. Kagome Higurashi is a babe! And, oh man, her voice! And that pretty little blush!" Hakaku quickly descended back into fantasy land while Kouga absorbed exactly what it was his partner was telling him.

"Well, shit." He mumbled to himself. "Did you get a picture?" He couldn't stop himself from asking and Hakaku shot him a disbelieving look.

"With what? My invisible camera?" He snorted and rubbed his eyes. "I'll share the memory of meeting her tomorrow. We got early morning drills tomorrow, Kouga. Can I go back to bed now?"

Kouga let out a snort of his own and then scowled when Hakaku let out a parting shot.

"After all, I'm gonna need to get all the energy I can if we're gonna get our asses handed to us by Taisho again."

"Like hell!" He exclaimed, but his screen was already off and his connection with Hakaku gone. "Ain't no way that's happening a second time." He muttered darkly to himself as he sat back in the desk chair he was seated in. Tomorrow's training wasn't going to go like yesterdays, even if he had to play dirty.

* * *

Sorry its late. But here it be.


	5. Chapter 5

Chapter Five

Kimiko sat up from the large reclining pod placed in the center of the room. Her head throbbed in time with her heartbeat and she found that her breathing was rattled. She supposed she had pushed herself too far this time around, but there was something wrong. Something that, even in her element with all her power, she couldn't quite grasp. She would never admit it, and hated to even feel it, but she was worried.

With her experience numbering well over thirty years, she knew she didn't have the luxury of mistakes. A mistake on her part could have half the fleet destroyed, but her ability wasn't always accurate. Precognitive abilities were always riddled with holes and strange messages. It was her job to take the strange and disconcerting images and feelings she got and put them into some semblance of order. The numerous things she had been able to see and the importance of being able to decipher these things had given her a smooth sailing to the highest position within the western fleet.

All fleets within humanities control were directed by their own respective precogs. However, this wasn't pubic knowledge. Precognitive abilities were considered legendary, much like being able to see a unicorn flying passed the observation deck. It was kept that way for a reason. If a child showed even a hint of precognitive power, they were removed from their families and made to disappear. Kimiko had been taken from her own family when she was eleven.

She didn't know what story her family had been told, and she had only tried to find them once. She had been sixteen, graduated early due to her skill and level of control, and placed within the small circle of precogs already assembled. It had been her direct superior at the time, Dame Olivia, who had coaxed her into finding them. "You'll always have that regret." She would always say, so Kimiko had gathered her courage and traveled to the southern fleet, looking for her family.

To say she had been shocked that they appeared to be happy would be incorrect. She had always known that it would have been impossible for them to go on mourning her disappearance. She just hadn't expected to see them with two other little girls. Hadn't expected to see her place taken by somebody else, let alone two somebodies. As all teenagers, she had her bout of emotional 'it's not fair!' and 'why me!' and by the time she had cried it all out she had felt better.

She had boarded the flight back to Craven that next day and sought solace with the other precogs of various ages and advancement. Dame Olivia had softly patted her on the back and said, "And now, young one, you are allowed to move on. To focus on the future as your gift begs you to."

And focus on the future she had. It had been her that had found the large ambush waiting for their fleet. Directing many of their smaller ships out of the danger zone and giving their battle ships the coordinates they'd need to neutralize their enemy had been done by her hand alone. So it came as no surprise when she had been appointed head of the western precogs preceding Dame Olivia's retirement.

The path to stay at the top had been daunting but the prize had been well worth it. After all, it was through her invisible connection to the upper echelon of the western fleet that had put her within Hideaki Taisho's sights. While they had not stayed together, her pride was Sesshomaru.

Taking another deep breath, Kimiko stood from the pod and made her way slowly towards the door. Her heartbeat was still staggered but her breathing was tapering off into what she considered normal. The door softly whooshed open and Kimiko was startled to find two of her precogs waiting in the reception area for her.

"Ami, Eri." Kimiko said shortly in invitation and both girls glanced to the other before meeting her eyes.

"Lady Kimiko." Eri, the bolder of the two, stepped forward, "We have had strange visions."

Kimiko allowed the girl's slowed sentence to give her time to fully recover. A small smirk fit itself onto her face and her slightly slumped shoulders straightened. Placing a hand on her opened doorway, she considered the two before her. They were both very talented together, but rather unremarkable apart. When they had been taken in for training, it had been a surprise to learn that both girls bolstered the other.

Kimiko had fought a hard battle getting the both of them under her tutelage, and she would never forget the twisted anger that had shaped Lady Fiona's face when they had been appointed to her ship. Her smirk grew as she remembered the woman's plump lips had turned a pale purple color with the amount of pressure she had applied to them to keep quiet.

Running her eyes over the two and noting their own slumped shoulders and tired faces, Kimiko made a swift decision. "Come girls. Let's go over to the record room, give our statements and then out to the spa." Both girls looked up sharply at their mentor.

"The spa?" Ami whispered and Kimiko allowed her smirk to settle into something a little warmer.

"Of course! Humanity can't expect us to work ourselves ragged for nothing." Her smirk sharpened again as she slid out the small silver card from one of the pockets on her coat. "Unlimited access to myself and whoever I choose to bring." She answered their questioning gazes and hid the pleased smile when their scrunched faces smoothed into something more cheerful.

The three of them walked slowly towards the far room, now in better moods then when they had left the reflection pods.

* * *

Sesshomaru jerked into a sitting position, pushing a hand through sweaty bangs and clutching at the hair at the back of his head. Lifting one of his legs, he hissed out a breath at the uncomfortable movement. His breath was erratic, and his heart was pounding. Letting out a low curse, he tried to get her voice out of his head.

This was starting to get ridiculous. It was the second time this morning and he had only heard her voice for crying out loud. It wasn't like he had even seen her and yet this was the result. Gritting his teeth he scrunched over to the side of his bed and swung his feet to the floor. The sweat making his shirt cling to his back and wetting his hair made him feel slightly relieved for the cold shower ahead of him. Yes, waking up with a hard-on four times in a row for the past two days made him appreciate the small things.

And the whole way to the small shower in his bathroom he heard the same soft whisper of his name that had him aching in his sleep.

 _'_ _Captain Taisho.'_

Walking down the corridor that connected to the training room and subsequent locker room, Sesshomaru ignored the stare pointed at the side of his face from his younger half-brother. Since leaving his room and finding the idiot standing outside his own room, he had forced himself to not notice the way his brother stared at him. What, exactly, was the moron's problem this time?

They had just reached the outside of the training door, and as Sesshomaru placed his hand on the biometric scanner, Inuyasha opened his mouth.

"So, ice pop. Have good dreams?" He asked in a sly tone and Sesshomaru cursed as a slight hesitation in his gait gave him away. Inuyasha cackled the whole way to the locker rooms and Sesshomaru just knew that he would have to kick the shit out of the boy today, regardless of the fact that they weren't going to be sparring partners.

Entering the room, Sesshomaru felt he was grateful that the only other person already there was Taijya. She looked up from putting on the shin guards she preferred and stared at Inuyasha in askance. Before the dolt could stop his laughing and respond to the silent question, Sesshomaru managed to push him into one of the lockers, seeming by accident.

"Everyone else?" He asked and Sango jumped at being directly addressed by the tall male. She quickly shook off her hesitancy and met the captain's gaze with her own.

"I don't know, I couldn't sleep so I decided to come early." She said slowly, and jerked her gaze to her teammate when he garbled out something loud and with lots of expletives. Sesshomaru nodded in acknowledgement and headed over to his own locker. It was only 0500, after all. The training session wasn't really scheduled until 0700.

Quickly getting into his training gear, he pocketed the small earpiece he would need when connecting with his partner later. He found his jaw locking again when he felt a wave of emotion, just thinking about her vaguely, brought him. Troublesome.

Looking over his shoulder, he smirked at the awkward position Inuyasha was in, trying to get his pants on. "Hurry it up, little brother." He said softly as he moved passed and the boy flopped over onto the floor. He kept his smirk in place as his curses followed him out into the training room.

* * *

Miroku looked up from the reports given to him by Wallace to watch as Kagome came in from the locker rooms, already wearing her suit. His lips twisted down dramatically as he swiped the reports off of his screen and set it down.

"Why, Kagome! I thought for sure we would be able to change together." He sighed and held back a chuckle at the scowl she shot back at him.

Before Kagome could reply, or do anything violent, Maryann Wallace bustled into the room carrying multiple wires with her. Both psychics stared in bemusement before Miroku felt it was his duty to ask.

"And you are looking like spaghetti because…?"

Wallace grinned around the lump of small wires and shoved them onto the table against the far wall. "Orders straight from the top!" She jabbered out in an excited rush. "They want to closely monitor how all of you work together now that we have our new addition!" She was slightly out of breath by the end of her sentence and Kagome felt the scowl from earlier deepen.

"For only being a temporary replacement, you seem to be doing a lot of extra work."

Miroku found himself silently agreeing. When Hojo had been the other psychic in this team, they hadn't done any of this. His eyes narrowed when Wallace grimaced and turned to the table to hide her face.

"Oh, well. I think they are just curious about the spectacular way you and Captain Taisho linked." Her words were careful and measured compared to her earlier lackadaisical rush when she first came in. Kagome felt that same alarm in her head go off that had always directed her out of trouble. Something about this seemed off.

"I'm only staying on for the agreed upon week." She stated, staring hard at the back of the taller woman's head. Wallace, for her part, kept her back turned and her hands set to separating the wires.

"Of course, dear." She soothed out and Kagome clenched her hands into fists. Her mother would say the same thing when they would argue over something and couldn't come to an agreement. She had always lost. Those words meant that it didn't matter what she wanted. Her eyes moved to the pod she would be using and she worked on loosening the muscles in her hand to unclench her fist.

She had signed the contract after reading it over thoroughly. They couldn't make her be a psy-link passed the agreed amount of time. Her breath came out slowly and her heartbeat calmed as she repeated those words like a mantra.

Miroku swiped a hand over the panel beside his preferred pod. His eyes swept over his friend's face and then to the back that Wallace kept to the room at large. Deciding that going into this practice session with an angry Kagome was not a good idea, Miroku opened his mouth.

Kagome felt her pervert senses go off and she whipped around to glare at the offender. "Don't even think of it, Miroku." She growled and the psychic had the grace to put up an innocent front.

"Why, my lady Kagome! I was just going to say how ravishing your-"

"Finish that sentence and I will hurt you."

Miroku ducked his head meekly and raised both hands up. Kagome frowned and turned back to her pod, swiping her hand over the panel and sitting inside once it slid open. She was no longer interested in what Wallace was doing and talking to Miroku was going to give her a headache. Miroku shrugged his shoulders and got into his own pod. Well, at least she wasn't so close to the edge.

After another ten minutes, a chime signified it was time and the pods closed. Wallace let out a relieved sigh as she set the last of the connectors into the pods. A specialized screen was connected to the other end and would be what she would use to send the data to the ship's captain. The fact that it had been the captain to order the readings had thrown her for a loop, but when you worked with psychics you learned it was better to roll with the punches.

* * *

Sesshomaru was standing over a thoroughly beaten Inuyasha with something like triumph gleaming in his eyes. The rest of their team had shown up in the past hour and Sango had stopped trying to explain exactly what had occurred between the brothers. Kouga stretched his arms over his head and watched the silver haired captain speculatively.

He didn't really have a plan, other than to not get his ass kicked. At least not as bad as the first time. He cringed when small flashes of the night spent in the infirmary, with Jakotsu, unwittingly entered his thoughts. Never again, he vowed for the hundredth time that morning. The half-baked plan he had first come up with was to use knowledge of his partner against him. Sesshomaru was a vain, self-centered, narcissistic, asshole. So having Hakaku find out everything he could and hitting the captain with it during their spar should cause enough tension that it would weaken the link between the two.

At least, that had been his plan. However, if the ramblings of Hakaku could be deciphered correctly and believed, that was no longer a viable option. Kouga groaned to himself and turned away from the ruckus that Inuyasha was causing with his big mouth. On top of that, Sesshomaru appeared to be in top form with his swordplay that morning. He glanced at the small clock projecting the time on the wall. He had two minutes to think of something before they all linked and he really didn't see that happening.

'Whatever. It was probably a fluke the first time anyway.' He told himself as he took down the practice weapon he would be using that morning.

Sesshomaru smirked down at his irritated half-brother and firmly denied the need to glance at the time. He was not anxious about linking with that girl again. His eyes swung about the room and took in the rest of the team. Kagura and Ayame were shooting snarky comments at the other while they stretched and Sango was running through another kata with her practice sword. Kouga was standing in front of the weapon wall, staring down at the sword in his hand in contemplation.

Inuyasha waved a hand in front of his face and Sesshomaru glared down at him.

"Geez, fucker. I was trying to tell you it's time! Put in your earpiece!" Inuyasha huffed as he put his own earpiece in, trying not to wince as he stretched out his shoulders. Ice pop sure had run him through his paces already. He snorted as he walked a few paces from Sesshomaru and over to Kagura, whom he was supposed to be sparring with.

He rolled his eyes when he was met with a condescending smirk that irritatingly mirrored his brothers. "Are you sure you'll be up for an actual spar, little Taisho?" Kagura purred and Inuyasha repressed the urge to give her the finger.

"Keh, more than you'll actually give me, Kaze." He taunted back and bared his teeth in what was too vicious to be a smile. Kagura's smile dropped from her face and her eyes narrowed. Her back stiffened slightly when she felt her partner enter her awareness.

'Hello, my little puppet.' His voice coiled around and Kagura rolled her eyes heavenward.

'For the last time, Hadani. I am not your puppet.' She answered with a growing exasperation. The creep was just not getting it. You'd think after being partnered for two years he would have another shtick by now. His usual villainous laughed echoed to her and she let out a huff.

Ayame cracked her neck as she walked over to Sango, greeting Ginta as she did so. "Hey, Taijya. Are we just doing hand to hand this morning or are we going whip to sword?" She asked as she ignored the insinuations coming from her partner. Sango placed her sword on the wall and turned to Ayame.

"Hand to hand, if that's alright with you." She answered as she felt Miroku's presence in her mind. 'Ooo. A girl fight.' His voice already had her clenching her teeth.

'Morning, Bro.' Hakaku's voice came to him sleepily and Kouga snapped out of the brief haze he had been in. He mentally grunted at his partner in answer and turned from the wall with his sword in hand. 'Eh, someone's in a bad mood this morning.' Hakaku continued and Kouga grunted again.

'We don't have a plan, Hakaku.' He stated simply and felt as his psy-link snapped to attention.

'Oh, yeah…right.' Hakaku went through his usual procedure of looking over his partner's muscles and energy pattern. He was clearly agitated and a bit…nervous? He paid more attention to the way Kouga's shoulders bunched and tried to ease them a bit. 'Kouga…are you scared of losing? Or are you scared of losing to Taisho?'

Kouga felt the muscles that had steadily been relaxing tense back up and he growled at his partner. 'What are you asking me exactly, Hakaku? Who said I was scared of anything?!' His temper had his body temperature raising and his mind shifting from the brooding it had been doing. As he continued to mentally berate his partner, Hakaku grinned to himself. Kouga did his best fighting when he wasn't thinking, after all.

He felt her hands first. A smooth tingling glide that coasted up his back and over his shoulders. His eyes rolled back slightly behind his closed lids and he clamped his teeth together to keep the moan from finding its way out. God damn it. Did it have to feel like this every time?! The hand holding the sword tightened as her hands ghosted down his arms and legs.

'Good morning, Captain Taisho.'

He worked hard to keep his breathing even as he made the comparison her tone of voice was now, as opposed to how it was in his dreams.

'Higurashi.' He stated simply and was surprised at how monotone he sounded when his emotions were doing backflips. Her laugh echoed to his 'ears' and nearly undid any barriers he had set up.

'What? It's Higurashi now? Not little girl?' Her teasing tone had bite to it.

'Would you prefer to be referred to as such?' He asked almost curiously and was pleased when she let out a huff. Someone had riled her up before their link, and while he would have preferred it to have been himself, he was non-the-less satisfied that she wasn't the unemotional psychic she had tried to be the other day. His thoughts skittered over that concept while he pushed away what could only be known as jealousy. He did NOT care that someone else was affecting her emotionally.

'Ah. There it is. For a brief moment I thought I had imagined your pompous attitude from the other day.'

A smirk stretched his lips and Sesshomaru allowed his eyes to open languorously. The girl was looking for a fight. With a small shake of his head he tossed his hair over his shoulder to lay against his back. Aggression was something he was familiar with and more than willing to work with. How much fire would Higurashi show if he got her even more riled?

'Let us hope you do not show any incompetency today.' He insinuated and allowed his smirk to show teeth when she hissed back. It was going to be a very satisfying day, he could already tell.

Kagome tried to keep her temper back behind the walls she usually put up when she linked with someone. She really, really tried…ok, not that hard. She was frustrated with her situation and the fight she knew she was going to have to put up with the ship's managerial committee. When she had first linked with Taisho, she had shivered at the tight control his energy radiated and it had calmed most of her anger.

But this man…

Something in his tone, or the words or the superiority behind them, or maybe it was a combination of all three, and suddenly she wanted to bite. Not even the proverbial sense either! She literally wanted to sink her real life teeth into him. Maybe his shoulder…

Her thoughts stuttered and she knew that if she was in her body she would be blushing right about now. What a random kinky thought! Now that she had acknowledged it, her mind was racing with similar thoughts, all painting one very vivid and lurid picture. Her, wrapped firmly around the sculpted muscles she had mapped multiple times, her mouth poised over the junction of his neck, waiting for the perfect moment to strike. His hand slowly moving up the thigh she had around his waist-

A loud blaring alarm startled Kagome out of her fantasy and for a frantic moment she didn't know what was going on. Holy shit, Kagome, you are fantasizing about a man you've never met while you are linked to him! She berated herself as she immediately took stock of the situation. Taisho had been in the process of starting his spar with Wolfe, the other team members were scattered about the large training room in various stages of a freeze-frame fight.

'What's going on?' Kagome asked Taisho even as she noted the mounting tension in his energy.

'Emergency mission.' He stated in answer and Kagome jolted slightly in shock.

'Now?'

Her tone of disbelief caught his attention and Sesshomaru examined the emotions she was still trying to keep from him. 'Hn.' He walked into the locker room along-side the others and quickly changed a few of the sparring equipment pieces for the actual combat suit.

Kagome was already absent-mindedly adjusting his energy flow and the bunching of certain muscles to accommodate the strain they would be going through later on. While she had never been in actual combat with the Baasratu, she well remembered how to prepare for it. The nerves she felt building up in her own energy she tried to shake off by rationalizing things.

Captain Taisho and those on his ship were what was called a clean-up crew. It was their job to enter a "cold" battlefield, whether it be one of their ships or one of the Baasratu, and take out whatever was left. Normally this included stragglers that had been too injured to abandon ship and hadn't died yet. Thus why it was imperative to send out a clean-up ship, because while the Baasratu could be near death, they were a vicious lot to the end.

Many salvage crews had been laid to waste because a military commander had felt the wounded Baasratu not a threat.

This is what confused Kagome, however. Taisho, and all of those on this ship from what she could tell, were too far advanced to be a clean-up crew. This was a waste of military talent and resources. So, why, then were they all placed on this ship? Surely they couldn't all be pompous asses that couldn't work with anyone. Hell, the fact that Taijya put up with Miroku was testament that it wasn't true.

Her musings were cut short as she realized that preparation for deployment was done and they were on their way to the transportation room. She was nervous about this next part, because, while not alarming or dangerous, transportation while linked with someone was uncomfortable at best. At its worst, it was down-right nauseating. She shifted herself closer to Taisho and ignored the way he stiffened up.

'What are you doing?'

Kagome let out a small sigh. 'I don't like transporting.' She answered simply and hoped he would leave it alone. She stifled a gasp when his energy seemed to reach and wrap around her own. Heart hammering distantly in her ears, she murmured her thanks, even as she tried to decipher his reasoning behind helping her.

Sesshomaru felt her question, even though she hadn't voiced it and didn't feel he needed to explain himself. Couldn't explain himself if he tried, because he wasn't sure he knew what he was doing either. It was an instinctual reaction and he felt he couldn't have stopped it if he had wanted to. Which, he was perturbed to note, that he hadn't wanted to stop it.

While most could say that it was ingrained in a warrior to protect those weaker then themselves, Sesshomaru knew he hadn't felt an inclination like that toward anyone his whole life. His brand of protecting something was to make them want to be stronger, not being their strength. What, then, was this?

Kouga leaned over slightly toward Sesshomaru as he read over their mission's directive from the large screen in the transportation room. "Seems like our guys took down a small Baasratu meteor base." He said with pride coloring his words and Sesshomaru glanced through the mission log himself. Great. That meant they would need space gear.

"Does it say if there's airlock inside this meteor?" Ayame asked and Kouga let out a short puff of air.

"There was, but it was damaged during the battle. Suit up, soldiers. Into the cold abyss we go."

* * *

Sango would be the first to admit that the deep silence of space freaked her out. So it was with relief that she allowed her partner to ramble on about who knew what. She was treating it much like the background noise it should be relegated to.

'I'm hurt, dear Sango! That you would treat me and my lovely voice so…' Miroku said dejectedly and Sango winced at the fact that she had let that last thought slip.

'Damnit, Miroku. Pay attention.' She hissed back and brought the softly glowing katana before her. While space suits had come a long way from the bulky things they had been, the helmet still wasn't the most graceful thing to fight in. You didn't have the range of sight you needed when fighting something as fast as a Baasratu, so being distracted in what could potentially be a danger zone was not the best idea.

The meteor base itself was much like a Baasratu ship on the inside. The walls and floor were lined with that same material that, no matter how many tests and experiments done to it, they could not figure out what it was. All that could be said for it was it was organic. Which was rather obvious to Sango, after all, the floor squished and sometimes she could swear the walls were breathing. That was weird all its own, but put to the fact that it appeared, for all intents and purposes, to be made of a dulled metal, and the effect was rather disconcerting.

Sango shook off the disgust she was feeling as she crept after her captain down the dimly lit corridor. Captain Taisho's team had decided to take another hall, and both captains had agreed on a meeting point over their holo-maps. She nearly jumped out of her skin when she heard Captain Wolfe's voice over her helmet's radio.

"Taisho, you check the room through there. Taijya, you're with me. We'll meet you here." Wolfe pointed to a room on the map and Inuyasha voiced his affirmation. Walking swiftly and silently, Inuyasha turned into the room with the door hanging from the wall at a strange angle. Sango silently followed after Wolfe her eyes scanning the floor and walls for signs of anything left alive.

A brushing against her shoulders had her jumping and Miroku apologized. 'Just me, love.' He said in a subdued voice and continued to relax her tensed muscles. 'You'll wind up pulling a muscle with how tense you are if you have to defend yourself.' He continued smoothly and Sango let out a sigh. He was right. This wasn't her first clean-up, wasn't even the biggest battleground they had scoured. So the question was, what had her so tightly strung?

* * *

Kagome fanned out her feelers in each direction. Down strange halls that carried energy of their own, and into rooms that echoed with the violence from only a few hours previous. She wasn't familiar with this kind of thing, so she was attentive to each minute detail. While they were hacking and slashing through hordes of aliens, there was a kind of danger in the slinking around until something popped out at you. God, she hated suspense.

Sesshomaru kept a firm leash on his amusement at her concentration. While normally he was the one taking this seriously, he felt she was doing the job for the both of them. Lazily striding forward and silently directing Kagura and Ayame to check one of the multiple doors they had come across, Sesshomaru walked over the threshold of the far left door and froze. The hairs on the back of his neck were standing at attention and Higurashi's energy was recoiling and tensing around his form.

Before she even said anything he knew she had found something in this room. 'Behind the table in the adjacent room. Left side, farthest from the door. About four meters.' Her voice was back to the cool, professionalism and Sesshomaru found that it sharpened his own thoughts. His hand tightened on the slim saber and the blue glow that had constantly surrounded it seemed to solidify slightly before dimming.

Hunting mode, she had told him during their first training session. So that the enemy wouldn't see the glow and know he was coming. His saber was nearly black now, and the power he felt in his grasp gave him a jolt of adrenaline. 'Higurashi. This is hardly necessary for taking out a-'

'Taisho. That Baasratu isn't wounded.' She cut him off cleanly and Sesshomaru felt something skate down his spine. His eyes narrowed on the door he had never looked away from and his muscles tensed in preparation. Wounded Baasratu were pretty fast. Perfectly healthy Baasratu…

'We are faster.' She whispered to him, and Sesshomaru felt his tension ease. Taking a step forward, he left anything resembling hesitation behind. Before he could reach the door, he felt his partner's fingers curl around his hand and he brought his sword up in time to deflect the long claws shooting out of the dark at him. A blur of movement had Sesshomaru bringing his sword up again and a bright flash of blue illuminated the being before him before a severed limb went flying farther into the room the Baasratu had come from.

Jumping back and letting out a hiss, the Baasratu clutched its remaining hand at the shoulder where its arm once was. Sesshomaru took the time to examine his kinds' long time enemy. They were a tall race, the Baasratu. Standing at nearly eight feet, their limbs were long and gangly. Their skin was a dark grey color and stretched thin over boney joints. Long, knobby fingers tapered into wicked claws that could retract in a strange fashion. They had no eyes, but their mouths stretched wide over sharp teeth. Some grew stringy hair-like things from the top of their heads, but most were bald. They all wore the same kind of…clothing…however. Like someone had taken old black drapes from the storage and cut them into ribbons, hanging them in strange designs over their bodies.

Green goo, that Sesshomaru realized was fresh blood, dripped from the severed arm and turned a dark orange as it hit the floor. The Baasratu let out another choking hiss and crouched closer to the floor. It removed its hand from its wound and spread out its claws, a red glow flickering over the tips. Play time was over then.

Before it had a chance to attack, Sesshomaru closed the distance between then and sliced cleanly through the vicinity of its neck. He was rewarded with the sight of its head rolling away and an annoying shower of green covering the front of his suit. He glared down at the spewing body of the alien and ignored the stifled giggles coming from his partner.

Kagome allowed her tension to ease slightly as she took note of her partner's disgruntlement. A giggle escaped followed by another and towards the end she was laughing. At him, at the adrenaline, at the situation. As her laughter stopped, Kagome thought about what exactly an unwounded Baasratu was still doing here.

Both came to the same yet unlikely theory. 'Captain Taisho…'Kagome trailed off in uncertainty and Sesshomaru felt confirmation echo through his own thoughts.

'Higurashi. I don't think the battleship finished the job.' He thought slowly as he tried to piece everything together.

"Kaze, Shiro." He spoke sharply into the mic built into his helmet. Startled "Sir?" came from both and he felt the pressure in his chest ease slightly.

"Come back and meet up, immediately." He switched frequencies to Wolfe's transmission. "Wolfe, we have a problem."

xXx

So here's the next chapter. A few questions I would like to answer from a couple reviewers:

First, about what happened to Earth, well, that won't be put into this story, sorry.

Second, Kagome is 20 years old. The tests she went through were at ages 10, 15 and her final at 18.

Third, no, there aren't any demons in this, sorry. However their basic personalities I have tried my best to keep the same. Keep in mind that their reactions might deviate slightly due to the time and setting, but I think I've kept the core values pretty close.

Thank you again for all the reviews, I treasure them all, though it might not seem like it. Work ties me up and I don't have much free time but I enjoy reading all the feedback I receive.


	6. Chapter 6

Chapter Six

Inuyasha frowned in concentration as he followed after his other two teammates. While Kouga hadn't explained why they were to fall back and meet up with the icicle's team, the slight hitch in his voice had him a little worried. Nothing was said between the three as they hurried along, reexamining the rooms they had already passed. As they came around the final bend, Kikyo whispered that the other team was already waiting for them.

The shocking sight of Sesshomaru completely covered in orange goo had him cracking up.

"Oh, shit, Ice pop!" He gasped out and belatedly realized he was the only one laughing. Sango had let out a horrified gasp and Kouga's hand trembled slightly before he clenched both of his fists.

"Think for a moment, Inuyasha. What does this possibly signify?" Sesshomaru hissed out quietly and was satisfied when his laugh abruptly cut off.

"Taisho, what exactly happened?" Kouga demanded as he swung his gaze to everyone else in the room. In a quick and precise manner, Sesshomaru explained the situation and what Higurashi and he had found. The silence that followed was deafening.

"You're saying a completely healthy Baasratu was hiding itself in one of the rooms you were checking?" Kouga asked slowly as the full implications of what this meant hit him. "You think there may be more, don't you."

"Yes."

Sango felt her stomach drop to her toes and her hands clenched to stop them from trembling. Miroku murmured softly to her, but she wasn't concentrating on what he was saying. Why would there be un-wounded enemies?

"In addition, none of us have been able to contact main dispatch." Sesshomaru finished as he looked directly into Kouga's eyes.

"Shit."

"Well, hell. What do we do now?" Inuyasha broke into the tension and Sango tried not to jump from the volume he used. "What, are we gonna turn tail and head back to our ship?" He crossed his arms over his chest and lifted his chin, a smirk crossing his face. "Or are we gonna hunt the last of these bastards down and finish the job the other guys couldn't do?"

His cocky questions eased the uncertainty in the room and Kikyo felt a small burst of pride for the boy. Yeah he was a brash idiot, but he had a certain charm to him all the same. Kagura felt a smirk hitch her own lips as she planted her hand on her hip. "Hell yeah. I say it's about time we took care of things ourselves." She purred and her smirk sharpened when she heard Naraku cackle in her head.

Ayame frowned slightly and crossed her own arms looking to her captain. "Will that be alright though?" She asked seriously and met Taisho's eyes with her own. "I know we're capable of taking care of ourselves, but we don't know exactly what the situation is or why these Baasratu managed to slip under a battleships radar. Not to mention the fact that we can't get in contact with anyone."

Inuyasha snorted but Sango shook her head. "I agree. Is it really alright for us to hunt down who knows how many more there are? Not to mention whatever else may lie ahead." Kouga crossed his arms over his chest and looked to the floor. This wasn't a decision to make lightly, but they couldn't just stand there ruminating any longer. If they were aware of the Baasratu, then the Baasratu were aware of them.

"Alright then, a vote." Kouga said decisively and then put up his hand. "All in favor of hunting the bastards down and finding out what the hell is going on?" All but the two raised their hands and Sango groaned.

"Majority rules. So what's the plan?" Kouga asked Sesshomaru.

While the both of them were the same rank, Kouga wasn't deluded enough to think he could plan a strategy better than Taisho. Sesshomaru frowned slightly and looked off to the side as he rearranged his thoughts. Looking back up to the other captain he asked what they had found down the corridor they had taken.

Inuyasha snorted. "A whole lot of nothing, that's what. Bunch of dead Baasratu and broken equipment."

Kouga glared over at what was supposed to be his subordinate then sighed in agreement. "Yeah, nothing suspicious anyway. We had four more rooms to check before we would reach the hall connecting to our meet-up point. It's why it took us longer to back track."

Ayame shifted her weight to her left and put a hand on her hip. "Yeah, well we had a lot more rooms connecting to the corridor we went down." She paused and her eyebrows scrunched in thought. "A lot of creepy laboratory-like rooms."

Kagura gave a short nod as if affirming what her teammate said. "I think one of the rooms I searched was an operating room."

Sesshomaru glanced sharply over at Kagura, his eyes narrowing slightly. "An operating room?" He asked softly and waited for her to elaborate. Kagura shrugged and waved one of her hands flippantly over her shoulder.

"Yeah, I dunno. It had three long metallic tables and weird equipment set up around two of them. Hadani said it looked like one of the research labs he had been working in recently."

Ayame shifted nervously as she looked to her captain. Ginta had told her that Kagura's partner, Naraku Hadani, had been working in the labs that a few researchers used to dissect and experiment on a few of the Baasratu they had managed to capture and hold prisoner. According to Ginta, the technology involved in holding a Baasratu was highly expensive and only in the experimental stages. In most cases they wound up killing the Baasratu within moments of capture.

Kouga crossed his arms over his chest and scowled. "Great. What exactly does that mean?"

Sesshomaru straightened slightly and glanced to the other captain. "It doesn't matter. It's not our job to decipher the meaning behind what they used this meteor base for." He looked to each of the team members assembled before him. "We're here to clear out whatever is left." Kagome snorted softly in the back of his mind.

'Yeah, like you aren't trying to figure that out yourself.' She whispered sarcastically and Sesshomaru resisted the urge to roll his eyes.

'Higurashi.' He stated warningly and Kagome snorted again. She had no reservations about rolling her eyes, or the mental equivalent of one, anyway. She allowed her energy to again flutter along Taisho's before flaring out slightly to watch for enemies.

Though she could 'see' the energy used by the other psychic's on her team, she wasn't sure if they could 'see' her in turn. It differentiated depending on the psychic's abilities. A brief flare came from her right and Kagome smiled at the familiar feel of Kikyo. It had been a really long time since she had been in contact with her cousin, and regardless of the issues between them, it was reassuring to know she was there.

"Well, what's the plan, Taisho?" Kouga asked once again and met his cold amber gaze with his own.

"We'll head back down the corridor my team was searching. Stay close and don't wander too far." He answered shortly before turning and taking the lead. Ayame followed close behind and Sango found herself behind her.

Kouga cracked his knuckles as he took up the last position at the rear. He smacked the back of Inuyasha's helmet when the idiot's mutterings reached his ears. "Fall in, stupid. And stop talking to yourself. You sound crazy." Kouga sneered and relaxed slightly when Inuyasha scoffed back at him. The tension was starting to eat at his nerves.

'I'll say. You need to chill a bit, bro.' Hakaku murmured as he trained his energy on their surroundings. Kouga let out a short breath and rolled his shoulders back. His eyes swept briefly through an opened doorway and then ahead to the next opening. While he was watching the front, all of his other senses were trained behind them.

Though it seemed to take an eternity, they found themselves at the room Sesshomaru had encountered the healthy Baasratu. The body still lay where he had decapitated it and the splash of gore looked to be undisturbed. At least nothing else had been lurking in the room with them, Sesshomaru absently noted as he turned his attention to the adjacent room the Baasratu had come flying out of.

Forcing the door open to get inside, Sesshomaru was aware of Kagome's energy examining the room before them. 'I don't sense any more in here, but…' Her voice was distracted and her trailing sentence had his back up in an instant.

'But…?' He lead out slightly as his eyes roved over what couldn't be anything else than a torture chamber. A large table took up the middle of the room and he found himself checking under it for anything that might be hiding. Along the far wall of the room was a large rack, and some of the things hanging from said rack…he didn't even want to imagine what they could possibly be used for.

'I think there is something in that locker, Taisho.'

Higurashi's voice tore his eyes from the strange equipment and brought them to the large metal container along the right wall. He straightened his shoulders and slowly crept to the door, moving as quietly as he could, considering the floor made squishing noises. As his hand closed around the handle to open the door, Higurashi's energy coiled around him, strengthening his armor.

With a quick jerk he had the door open, and his eyes took in a sight he hadn't been expecting. A gagging noise behind him told him the others had followed him into the room. On two lower shelves inside the cabinet were jars of what appeared to be pieces of what was once a human being. While disgusting in its own right, that wasn't what held everyone's attention and had Sango leaving the room to keep from retching in her helmet.

Hanging from two large hooks was the upper torso of a human. The chest cavity had been pried open and pinned neatly to the stumps of what used to be arms on either side. What had Sesshomaru's complete attention was the fact that the heart was still beating. Ignoring the shuddering gasps coming from his partner and the loud exclamations from his younger brother, Sesshomaru narrowed his eyes as he studied the torso in front of him. There were no connecting wires to indicate that this was hooked up to any kind of electrical pulse, so how?

How the hell was the heart beating?

'I think I can…just please…' The gasping voice of his partner caught his attention and he averted his eyes from the gruesome sight, stepping away from the cabinet. Kouga stepped up beside him, also studying the torso in much the same fashion that he had.

'Higurashi?' He asked softly, keeping his tone mellow, waiting for her gasping to quiet down.

'That was…I mean…' She inhaled deeply and let it out slowly. 'There is a…energy…field around the, uh, heart.' She said after she had managed to calm down.

'An energy field?' He questioned even as he swept his gaze over the rest of the room, scrutinizing everything in a different light.

'Yes.' Her voice lost its shaky quality and became more firm. 'I don't know what kind of energy it is, and honestly, I don't want to touch it. Somehow, it is keeping that thing alive.'

"Alive how?"

All eyes swung in his direction and Sesshomaru realized he had spoken out loud.

'I mean as alive as if it still had a head attached to it. Taisho, that…torso…is fully functional. As if it wasn't opened like a weird science experiment.'

A sick feeling traveled up from his stomach and Sesshomaru found he didn't really want to think about why their enemy felt it was necessary to even do something like this.

"Can we leave this room now? I think I might take a page out of Taijya's book and hurl if we dawdle here any longer." Kagura said caustically as she walked toward the door. Inuyasha followed rather quickly, nearly pushing Ayame along the way. Kouga finished making adjustments to his map and grimly followed Sesshomaru from the room.

"I made a note of this for later." He stated as they emerged into the corridor and headed toward the next room. All six of them shook off the disgust and pushed the thoughts on what they had found to the back of their minds. They still had half a base to scour.

* * *

Though the majority of the meteor base yielded nothing further of note, it wasn't until they reached a small unassuming doorway that Kagome thought she was losing it. 'Taisho.' She breathed out and Sesshomaru paused his forward motion. Focusing on what Higurashi was doing, his eyebrows scrunched as she seemed to be inspecting the small utility closet more than he thought was necessary.

'Something isn't right with this closet.' She stated. Her focus shifted slightly when she felt Kikyo's energy brush hers as she too examined the closet.

"What do you mean, there's something in there? It's just a freaking closet!" Inuyasha burst out and Sesshomaru frowned. If two psychics were saying there was something in the closet, then there had to be something in there. Walking into the small space, Sesshomaru waited for some kind of direction from his partner.

Almost immediately he felt her encircle his wrist and he brought his hand up to the left side wall. His eyes widened as his hand sunk into the wall. The thick feeling of cold oatmeal traveled up his arm and he tried not to shudder at it.

"The hell?!" Inuyasha exclaimed, further catching the attention of the rest of the team.

"Uh, Taisho? Is your arm in the wall?" Kouga asked, rather stupidly, in his opinion, and he pinned him with a glare. Before he could reply sarcastically, Higurashi's voice again distracted him.

'There is another room behind this fake wall.' She said excitedly and Sesshomaru felt a shot of adrenaline tighten his muscles. 'No enemies in the immediate vicinity, but I think I sense something farther…down?'

Relaying his partners' words, Sesshomaru ignored the questions posed to him as he took in a breath and walked through the wall.

'Dammit, Taisho!' Higurashi shrilled, 'If I was even a smidge slower, you could have been stuck in whatever the hell that wall is made of!'

'Hn. Didn't I tell you I wouldn't tolerate incompetence, Higurashi?' He smoothly interjected and allowed a small smirk at her huff of disbelief. Before she could go on another tangent, he directed his focus on the room they had just entered. It wasn't like the rest of the base at all. The floors were hard rock, most likely the meteor rock itself. The walls were made of the same material, so he felt it was safe to assume that this room was tunneled into the meteor. It was not as well-lit as the base had been and Sesshomaru absently looked along the walls and flooring for the source of the light.

Finding no definitive source of the soft light, he allowed a frown to pull the corners of his mouth down. A ripple of awareness traveled up his spine and he smoothly stepped out of the way as Inuyasha fell through the wall.

"Bastard!"

"Quiet, Inuyasha." Sesshomaru breathed out even as the others started to trickle in through the wall. Higurashi was on high alert and that could only mean that the enemy was close. He glanced over the other five in the small room with him and gave Kouga a sharp nod. They would have to proceed forward in silence.

Sesshomaru took the lead, his saber drawn and already infused with dark energy. His heart rate picked up slightly as Higurashi fed him information in small waves with her energy. 'They are aware that something has gone wrong.' She breathed out quietly, effected by the tension created by the soldiers. 'There is one incoming…might just be a scout. We will intercept it around that corner.'

Slowing at the aforementioned corner, Sesshomaru crouched and brought his sword up in an arc, effectively slicing through the Baasratu before it could make a noise. As he straightened from the lunge he had ended in, he looked over the body of the alien leaking its life blood on the floor. 'Dead.' Kagome absently answered his silent inquiry as she studied the patterns of energy further ahead and down ward. 'There are about twenty of them ahead of us. And they all know that the scout is dead.'

She could feel her curiosity pique as she studied the strange waves that could only be alarm spread from one alien being to the next. Were the aliens that closely linked with each other? If so, then this might be an all-out battle any way. Relaying her findings to her partner, Sesshomaru in turn quietly informed the rest of the team as they assumed an aggressive formation and began there trek down the tunnels. Though they came across many intersecting tunnels, Kagome kept them on the right path.

'They've split up slightly.' She murmured as they came to a four-way intersection. 'Two will come up on the left corridor and a third from the right. Three altogether incoming from the path in front of us.'

'The tunnels connect back up ahead.' Sesshomaru not-quite-asked as he directed Inuyasha down the path with the lone Baasratu and Kouga and Kagura took the path with the other two.

'Yes.' Kagome answered even as she geared them up for more confrontation.

Sango glanced to Ayame and the both of them grit their teeth. From what their links were telling them, it was time to get serious.

* * *

Sesshomaru allowed the team a short rest, even as he eyed the door in front of him. While the corridor had been linear the majority of the time, the damn Baasratu had put in a hell of a fight. At one point, there had been two scaling the ceiling in a creepy spider-like way. He glanced over at Inuyasha who was to his immediate right. Though the boy was an idiot, his reflexes were rather good, though he would never tell him that. Those reflexes had saved the both of them twice on their advancement to…whatever was behind this door.

The last Baasratu had stood before the door in front of them, seemingly determined to keep them from inside as opposed to just wanting them dead. That same Baasratu now lay a ruined mess in front of said door. 'For sure that was the last.' Higurashi murmured as she circled her energy around the hit he had taken in the shoulder earlier.

His suit was undamaged, thanks in large part to the energy Kagome had bolstered through the active material, tightening his defenses at the last moment. However, Sesshomaru knew that while he was undamaged, his psychic could be harmed instead. 'Are you alright?' He asked almost disinterestedly, if it weren't for the fact that he bothered to ask at all.

Kagome let out a sigh and checked over herself as she finished fussing with the armor. 'Yes, just bruised.' She answered softly as she returned to checking out their surroundings. Though the aliens were now gone, there was still questionable energy in the room in front of them.

"Damn. That was faster going than I thought." Kouga wheezed out slightly as he put his hands on the top of his helmet. He absently listened to his partners grumbling as he sent energy over the pulled muscle on the back of his leg. 'You all intact, Hakaku?' He lazily asked as he took in the others on his team.

'Just some bruising.' Hakaku murmured begrudgingly as he sent a last wave over his partners' knotted muscles and took to inspecting the armor along his arms. The pain he felt from his own arms told him he hadn't been strong enough to fully block the enemy's energy attack. Kouga raised an eyebrow, even as he took in the way Sango and Ayame excitedly whispered to each other.

Sesshomaru left the wall he was leaning against and strode toward the last door at the end. Everyone else took this to mean that break time was over and stood as well. Behind the door was another laboratory. Slightly irked that whatever the Baasratu were trying to hide wasn't immediately obvious, Sesshomaru stalked along the strange counter tops with weird equipment.

A brief glimmer from the far counter caught his attention and he turned his attention to it. As he came closer his lip turned down in what could have been a scowl. Lying, almost innocently, on the counter was what appeared to be a soldier's armband. Though not really worth a second glance, normally, it was the almost pristine condition of the armband that gave him pause. Well, pristine if one ignored the severed arm it was still wrapped around.

A soldier's armband was where all pertinent information was stored, whether that be maps of the current ship they were on, or messages from upper command. His eyebrows lowered as he reached for the armband.

'Don't!'

Higurashi's shout had him jerking back his hand. 'There is weird energy wrapped around that thing. Don't touch it.' Sesshomaru straightened and turned his attention on the others in the room.

"We have completed our mission. Let's report back to the drop off point and get ahold of command. They'll be getting antsy about how long we've been in here by now, anyway."

Kouga snorted and turned to the doorway, "Yeah if we can get ahold of them, that is. Man, I normally hate writing reports, but this is gonna be one hell of a story to tell."

* * *

Kagome felt a groan escape as the gel in her pod drained and she came fully back into her own. Coughing out what was left in her lungs, she spit it out into the small drain at her elbow. Her hands came up automatically to begin taking off the numerous electrodes pasted to her head and she winced at the pulling pain from her shoulder.

Her pod came open and she swung her feet to the floor, her eyes already looking for Miroku. She winced again at the sight of the large bruise creeping up his neck and onto his lower jaw. Letting out a small chuckle, Miroku shook his head at the expression on his friends face. "Wasn't fast enough to stop all of its energy attack." He explained softly and Kagome shook her head, her left hand crossing to rest on her right shoulder.

"Me either."

"Oh my goodness, are the both of you alright?!" The loud exclamation had both psychics jumping and whipping their heads to stare at Wallace. "You both must be so exhausted! Having to enter combat during what was supposed to be practice like that!"

Kagome blinked and belatedly realized she was exhausted. And ache-y. She had never engaged in actual combat before, but she supposed that didn't matter anymore. She had never had to defend against such caustic energy before either. Coming out of it with only a shoulder bruise was pretty amazing. The way the armor and the defense of the soldiers worked, relied heavily upon the energy and reaction time to the psychic linking with the soldier.

However there was a drawback on the linking system that made many psychic's rethink becoming a battle link. Because a psychic used their own energy to manipulate the soldiers' energy, it was also their energy that protected them from the energy the Baasratu used to attack. The problem with this was the Baasratu energy attacked whatever energy opposed it, meaning the psychics got what was termed bruising from blocking. While the energy couldn't cause real damage to a psychic, it certainly left its' mark.

There have been many advancements in technology concerning the pods to stop this kind of psychic attack on the users of the pods, but so far they could only dim the pain while the psychic was inside the pod. Adversely, they had developed a way to yank the psychic back into themselves when their linking partner was critically wounded or dead, before they 'died' as well. Usually, when a soldier died, if the psychic wasn't pulled back, the psychic died with them.

The latest pods had a way to monitor critical conditions and manually pulled the psychic back from the link to save the psychic, at least physically. Mentally, most psychics weren't able to recover. Along with many other forms a psychic signed when they became a battle link, they had to make a decision on whether or not to be kept alive if the pods pulled them back and they became vegetables. The medic forms were rather numerous, Kagome herself didn't want to be left alive if she were little more than a vegetable.

However, none of this would matter by the end of the week. She was only temporary. Kagome ignored the twinge she felt at that thought and stood on shaky legs. Wallace walked over swiftly and had a shoulder under one of her arms, helping her to the locker room showers. "Come along, dear. The hot water will do you some good. Then its' off to the med-bay. Got to get you and Soryu checked out." Wallace rambled out and Kagome glanced back to see a male guard helping Miroku to his feet in a similar fashion.

Glancing to the time projected by the bio scanner by the door, Kagome was startled to realize she had been linked to Taisho for over ten hours. No wonder she was exhausted, it was the longest time she had ever been linked to anyone. She decided she was also too tired to be disgruntled at the fact that she hadn't minded being linked to the jerk either.

* * *

"It was found on the meteor base out of the western quadrant." The monotone electronic voice rang out eerily and she looked down at the projected pictures before her. Her eyes roved over the grotesque images of the opened chest cavity, the numerous laboratories that were documented and settled on a picture of the armband. Frowning softly, she adjusted in her chair and reached for the small mic beside her screen.

"What of the armband?" She questioned and winced slightly when that same electronic voice covered her own dulcet tones. The shadowed figures projected around her shifted and another voiced her question as well.

"Yes. Has anyone checked its contents? Why would the Baasratu have this in their deepest, hidden lab?"

"We suspect treachery."

The simple statement had all on the council freezing in silence. She clasped her hands and frowned into the screen at large. Though none could see her face, just like she couldn't see theirs, it made her feel better to image they could feel her glare.

"Treachery? To what end?" Though the electronic voice held no emotion, the words themselves conveyed the speaker's incredulousness.

"That is what we intend to convene over in four hours. The video documenting the opening of the armband within our own labs will be sent to you shortly."

With nothing left to discuss, the projectors and screens dimmed and she leaned back in her chair. A harsh sigh left her lips as her screen dinged with a notification that the video had indeed been sent to her. Deciding to watch it later, she got up from the small desk in the equally small room and headed toward the hidden door in the back.

As it opened, she glanced around the small office she had set up for herself in the back of the small boutique she owned and ran. Though her clothing was only big in the western fleet, she had plans to expand all the way to the northern fleet. Even if only as a name brand murmured underground. Her eyes caught her own in the large floor length mirror she had hung on the far wall. The solemn expression she found there didn't suit her.

Forcing her lips up into a semblance of the usual cheery smile she normally wore, she pinched her cheeks as she sat behind her desk and pulled up a communications line. A real smile lit her face when her husband answered.

"Sorry darling, I just got a huge order in from another ship. They need the designs out by Tuesday." She apologized softly and tried to keep any guilt from her voice. Though she knew she wasn't allowed to, she absolutely hated keeping anything from her husband.

"Are you alright dear? You look absolutely exhausted." Her husband's deep voice soothed over her nerves and brought a natural flush to her cheeks, as he always did.

"Yes, but I'm afraid I won't be home until late." The small chuckle the generated from him had her smiling as well. She placed her elbow on the desk and her cheek in her hand, still smiling. "So, I'm afraid I won't be able to take you your dinner tonight."

"That's fine, love. I'm in a bit of a time crunch myself. Apparently the enemy is getting better at concealing things. However it appears our sons are now up for promotion." There was a small commotion over the line and she frowned as his face hardened slightly while he looked toward his doorway.

"I'll be right there." He dismissed whoever had entered and turned his attention back to the screen.

"I see that the Inu no Taisho truly is busy this time." She teased slightly as her husband grinned sheepishly. "See you late tonight, love."

Izayoi Taisho laughed as she cut communications with her husband and picked up her pocket screen from the desk. It would be best to listen to the video in her council office where none could interfere, she thought, feeling more energized after seeing her love blushing like a teenager.

xXx

Well, thanks for reading, please review.


	7. Chapter 7

Chapter Seven

Kagome scowled at the floor as the nurse retied her bandages, ignoring the nagging that was directed towards her.

"I understand that you seem to think you have a great many responsibilities, Miss Higurashi-"

"I do have a lot-"

"-but that doesn't mean you can do whatever you want! This is the third time I have had to re-bandage your shoulder. Do you even want to heal properly? I do have the authority to issue you bed rest if you can't even follow the simple instructions I have left you."

"It's just a bruise! I'm perfectly-"

"No, Miss Higurashi, it is a psychic burn. If the medication is not allowed to soak in properly it could lead to more serious problems down the line."

Kagome cringed at the somber tone the nurse used and stared down at the floor, feeling much like the chastised child she was starting to think she was. She refused to acknowledge the fact that she was clearly pouting. A small noise that sounded suspiciously like a snicker reached her ears and she glared at the one responsible for her trip back into med-bay.

Shippo threw his hands up as if in surrender, but the huge grin on his face looked anything but innocent. "Don't look at me! I told you we should have had that other guy lift those planters. But, no, you had to pretend to be all macho and do it yourself!"

"I was not pretending to be macho!" Kagome sniffed, her nose going up a notch. "Those planters were just…heavier than they looked."

She ignored the incredulous stares her defensive statement was getting and looked to the newly wrapped bandage around her shoulder. The noxious smell coming from it told her the nurse had used the potent stuff this time. She could feel her arm go numb to her elbow and her fingers were tingling in an unpleasant way. She turned a baleful gaze back to the nurse.

"I wouldn't have to use that stuff if you had just taken it easy for twelve hours." The nurse scolded as she collected all her materials and stood from the chair she had been perched in from beside the cot. "Most battle links pass out for that long after the treatment." Her voice was heavily laced with reproach.

Kagome shrugged and stood as well. "I really wanted to check on my baby." She answered simply her eyes cut over to the red head by the door. "I wasn't expecting that I'd have to help shorty over there with the new shipment of plants."

Shippo scowled back and ignored the guilty flush crawling up his neck and over his ears. The nurse shook her head and let out a sigh.

"And the two other times before that?" She asked in a long-suffering kind of way and Kagome knew the guilty flush was now on her cheeks.

"Well…" She trailed of and smiled sheepishly.

"Alright, enough. Out the both of you. If you have to visit me one more time before the medication has done its' job, I'm assigning you to bed rest. Are we clear, Higurashi?"

Kagome nodded emphatically and hurried out the door to the small examination room. Shippo was snickering again and Kagome swung her uninjured arm around his shoulders, bringing his head in to drive her knuckles into his hair. His loud "Gah!" drew the attention of the others sitting in the waiting room.

"Shut it, kiddo." She growled at him as they both stumbled through the large doors of the med-bay and into the corridor. Shippo snorted and shoved his hands into his pockets, his gaze skittering from the psychic and down the hall.

"You should have told me you were hurt." He muttered and Kagome looked over at his averted face. A small smile tipped her lips and she bumped him with her hip, laughing when he stumbled into the wall.

"Eh, I didn't think it was such a big deal." She said simply and Shippo lifted a brow at her. "I just thought it was a bruise. I'd never been in actual combat before so I never really paid any attention to the lecture on psychic injuries during a link. The doctors never explained it to me when I was getting treated after the fact either." She shrugged as they turned a corner and the corridor changed in appearance.

A wave of anticipation swept over her as she realized they were coming up to her favorite part of the ship. One side of the corridor was like the rest of the ship, but the other side was made of a thick material much like glass. It was facing the inner core of the ship and at the center was the large dome that housed the Goshinboku.

Eden was the central hub of the western fleet. Its design reflected that position greatly. At the center of Eden was a large botanical garden, gathered around the 297 foot tree's base. The garden was encapsulated by the strange glass-like material, banded by thick ropes of lighting that provided enough ultraviolet energy to keep the garden flourishing. The walkways and corridors that surrounded the garden were walled with the glass so anyone would be able to see the center in all its glory. And what a sight it was, shining like a beacon, surrounded by the black of space.

Branching out from the center were the many amenities that mankind needed to survive. The many laboratories and medical centers as well as the maintenance offices were the first few rings around the garden. Residential areas, as well as four fully stocked cafeterias were the next ring and the commercial districts surrounded those. Bordering everything else was the military stations. This was where their lines of defense started. Positioned on a separate corridor that arced over the garden, was the helm of the ship. Below the garden was where the engines and the ships many power sources were located.

Those last two areas were restricted, so Kagome had no idea exactly what was below the garden, nor did she have any real need to find out either. The ship also had multiple docking bays interspaced throughout the outer ring, more than any other ship in the western fleet. Because Eden was the center of the west, many relied upon it to keep the fleet fully stocked in any resource needed. So saying, four large reservoirs of water sat at the base of the garden. How large, Kagome couldn't say, the figures kept changing.

Whenever sources of water were discovered, whatever could be salvaged or converted safely was brought to Eden on large ships that stayed docked at Eden, ready to be deployed at the first word of a sighting. There weren't many discoveries, Kagome could name only one time in her life where a water source had been discovered, so they relied heavily upon the recycling system each ship had.

Each fleet had its own hub, and Kagome assumed they were all much like Eden. What made Eden different from the other cardinal hubs was the advancement in terraforming, which was what had attracted her to begin with.

"Hey! Space cadet!" Shippo jostled her uninjured shoulder and Kagome jolted out of her daze. "I swear you freaking biologists are all the same! Swoon over the garden some other time, alright? We gotta hurry back to finish putting those planters in."

Rolling her eyes Kagome followed after her short companion. "Yes sir, Mr. Engineer, sir!" She saluted even as she switched to a light jog to catch up. For someone with shorter legs, he sure was fast.

* * *

Miroku woke with a start and groaned as he tried to lift his head in the direction of the awful chime sounding from somewhere to his right. He briefly noted it was 13:30 before his eyes landed on the softly glowing screen on his nightstand. With another groan he reached over and brought the screen to rest on his pillow beside his head and swiped the answer icon.

"Soryu? Where are you? I can't see you."

Miroku groaned for the third time and buried his face into his pillow. "Mushin." He grumbled and ignored all the indignant comments coming from his screen. The volume and tone steadily got louder before he finally had enough and sat up, bringing the screen to his face. "Old man, I am trying to sleep."

His growl only succeeded in producing chortles as the elderly bald man on the other side lifted a small glass and down the contents in one gulp. Miroku raised an eyebrow and swung his feet over the side of his bed. "Isn't it a bit early to be drinking?" He grumbled and rubbed a hand over the stubble that was starting to grow on his jaw. His fingers encountered the large gauze pad covering his bruises and he grimaced.

"Bah. Never too early." The old man mumbled as he poured himself another glass and stared into the tired visage of the younger man. "So you finally managed to get the Higurashi girl back on track, I hear."

Miroku let out a harsh sigh and glared down into his screen. "Do you have any idea how hard it's been trying to manipulate things so that they'd go the way you wanted them too?!"

Mushin raised an eyebrow and brought his glass to his lips, taking another swig before setting it down and lacing his fingers together before him. "I told you that this was the best outcome. Besides, you make it seem as if befriending the girl was a hardship!"

Miroku let out another growl and stood, heading toward the small bathroom, leaving the screen on the bed. "Of course it wasn't hard being friends with Kagome! Lying to her wasn't that hard either. That girl is so damn gullible!" He paced back to the bed and stared into the hard eyes of his long time mentor. "And dammit if I don't feel incredibly guilty for it too! Especially after…" He trailed off and looked down at the greyish blue carpeting that came standard in all single units.

"After that botched mission." Mushin finished and picked up his glass again. He allowed himself to savor the burn of the alcohol before he looked back to the anguished eyes of his young pupil. "It is for the best, Miroku. The alternative paths for the future of mankind are far too bleak. This was the best hope for all of us. She is the best hope-"

"I know! Kami, I know!" Miroku exploded as he paced back to the bathroom and thrust his fingers through his hair in frustration. "I just don't want to see her get hurt." He allowed in a small voice and ignored the exasperated sigh that came through his screen.

"She's stronger than you give her credit for." Mushin grumbled as he stared down at his empty glass. "And she'll only get stronger. Which is what we needed to happen. Which is way you were put on Eden in the first place. Dark energy follows the light, though, boy. Your job is now to protect that light, don't forget that."

Miroku snorted in disdain even as his screen went dark, allowing his room to again become pitch. "Like I could do anything but protect her now." He muttered a curse and swung back towards his bathroom. Might as well shower, it wasn't like he could get anymore sleep now.

* * *

Kagome let out a happy sigh as she sat back, wiping her brow with the back of her arm, avoiding the soil stuck to her gloves. Over to her left she heard the combined curses of the two maintenance men Shippo and herself had recruited to help with the planters. While both men were considerably stocky, the planters were oddly shaped and harder to handle than you would expect. After both men and managed to maneuver the planters into place, Kagome had gotten to work with aerating the soil and making sure each plant was placed in properly.

She glanced over the section of the large garden they were planting in and smiled at the little girl walking hand-in-hand with her mother. The little girl smiled back and pointed, looking up at her mother and saying something that Kagome could not hear. The mother laughed and spoke back, possibly explaining what they were doing, before both walked farther down the pebbled path and out of sight. Kagome looked up and smiled at the far reaching branches of the Goshinboku that provided ample shade.

Though Kagome had never set foot on actual solid ground, let alone a real planet, she imagined that Earth couldn't have been much different from this. Artificially made wind brushed her hair back from her face and she closed her eyes, savoring the small peace she had found.

"Miss Higurashi?"

And the peace was gone. Turning her head, Kagome acknowledged the gawky guard lumbering toward her with a raised eyebrow as she stood.

"Yes?" She questioned as she took off her gardening gloves and wiped her clammy hands on her pants.

"A message for you. They said you weren't answering your screen and it's urgent." The young man nervously coughed as he hastily handed her a small bit-screen and then departed. Kagome watched him down the path until he was gone then looked down at the screen in her hand. She placed her thumb on the center of the pad and waited for the verification process to end. With a small chirp, a message began scrolling down the screen.

"Miss Kagome Higurashi,

You are needed in the southern meeting room right away. An urgent matter has come up and your presence has been requested.

As always please deposit the bit-screen in the recycling bin so that it can be properly processed. Thank you and have a nice day."

Kagome sighed and tried not to let the butterflies in her stomach show on her face. It was probably nothing, she told herself as she turned to face Shippo and the two laborers. Shippo was standing with his feet braced apart and his arms crossed over his chest. His nose was stuck in the air as he was directing the two older men with an air of importance. Kagome thought he looked like a spoiled brat trying to dictate to the movers where his stuff should go.

"Hey, Ship! I've got to go. I'm being summoned for some kind of meeting." She called out and stifled a laugh when he glanced in her direction before waving her off.

It was a twenty minute walk through the garden and another ten to the lift that would take her to the southern sector. The whole way she worried about what this summons could possibly mean. Maybe they wanted to discuss her report on the mission yesterday? 'Oh man, please let it just be about my report.' She thought to herself as she selected to correct button on the lifts panel.

Her dread had only increased by the time she had made it to the corridor leading to the meeting room. Her eyes widened and her heart leapt into her throat as she noticed the uniformed officers lining the halls. Uniformed officers. Ten of them, five on each side. Her mouth went dry and her hurried clip ground to a slow drag. Whoever it was in that room was important. Her eyes shot to the face of the nearest officer and she noticed the stoic expression combined with hardened jaw. Yep, really important.

When she reached the door, she glanced to the two men stationed on either side. "Ah, K-kagome Higurashi." She managed to stutter out and felt he face flare when one of the men turned his head to scrutinize her. With a sharp nod he turned his gaze to his partner and the man pressed his hand to the panel beside him. The door swooshed open and Kagome swept through as quickly as she could without seeming to be fleeing.

Her eyes swept the room and landed on a waterfall of bright silver hair pulled into a high tail atop the person whose back she faced. The person stood from the chair they had been seated in and turned to face her. Kagome was startled to realize that it was a man. His face was rather rugged and his eyes were like chips of amber caught in the light. She gulped and clutched her fingers in front of her. His eyes swept over her, his face staying in the stoic expression all hardened military men seemed to wear, before he nodded and a bright smile took her by surprise.

"Kagome Higurashi?"

His voice was deep and Kagome could well imagine very commanding. Nodding quickly with her mouth slightly agape, much to her mortification, Kagome snapped herself out of the funk she was in.

"Ah, yes! Uh, and you are…?" She questioned softly and was ashamed to admit she was relieved when he laughed. 'God girl, quit being so intimidated!' She chastised herself even as she took a step forward to accept his handshake.

"Hideaki Taisho, or Inu no Taisho, as I seem to be known." He introduced as he grasped her hand and Kagome felt herself tip back into the surrealism she had been caught in the moment she had walked into the room. Oh God. She was shaking the hand of the commander of the western fleet. The freaking COMMANDER of the whole western fleet!

She knew she was staring at him with a slack-jawed look on her face, but for the life of her she couldn't seem to stop. Inu no Taisho chuckled slightly and brought a hand around to her back, directing her to the two couches set up facing each other on either side of a small coffee table. Allowing her to be seated on one, he took his own seat on the other.

He had to admit she was a pretty little thing. Large blue eyes set in a small pale face, surrounded by waves of hair so black it was nearly blue. The very opposite of his own son. He caught the sharp movement of her shaking her head and allowed a small smile to settle on his lips. She wasn't the first to react this way on meeting him and he highly doubted she would be the last, but she was recovering remarkably fast.

"Uh, may I ask exactly what…um…?" Kagome trailed off and again shook her head slightly, her hand came up to her temple as she felt her anxiety levels rise. Her eyes met his and he smiled when she straightened from her slight slump.

"Would you like some tea or coffee before we begin?" He asked courteously as he motioned over to the cart by the wall loaded down with refreshments. Kagome frowned slightly and shook her head. She didn't think she'd be able to keep anything down, what with the trampoline that had grown in her stomach.

"Straight to business than." Inu no Taisho announced as he leaned forward and laced his hands together. "Miss Higurashi, I am here to discuss with you the importance of continuing your partnership with Captain Sesshomaru Taisho."

* * *

Inu no Taisho chuckled to himself as he watched the little spitfire walk down the corridor and to the lift. Although she had been apprehensive and intimidated at the start, it had quickly vanished in the midst of their negotiations. Her eyes had flashed with blue sparks as she had emphasized her dislike of being cornered by those high up on the chain of command. His own smile had sharpened as he had explained that due to the unusual circumstances, certain measures had to be taken.

After an hour or so of volleying comments and explaining the reasoning behind their own machinations, she had ended the talk with a somber, "I need to think on this." He had understood and told her as much.

"Of course. You still have three days to decide." His eyebrows had scrunched as the both of them stood and he had again taken her hand in his own. "I hope that you decide to continue this partnership. For all of our sakes."

Her eyes had searched his own for answers only she could give and then she had nodded, more to herself than in acknowledgement to his words, he supposed, before she turned and headed out the door. Now as he watched her leave, he straightened from the door frame and glanced to the corporal stationed by the door. "Get a hold of Captain Kavoc. It's time I finish the rest of this business and head back to the front lines."

* * *

Her breathy moan fluttered passed his ears as her leg hitched higher up on his thigh. His hand braced on the wall behind her as he brought his mouth down to the graceful arch of her neck, allowing his tongue to flick out and taste her skin. Her moan turned guttural as she lightly raked her nails down his back underneath his shirt. A low growl slipped passed his lips as he hooked his hand around the back of her knee, lifting her leg higher, allowing him closer.

"Se-"

"-SSHOMARU!"

Sesshomaru jack-knifed into a sitting position and glared heatedly at the door to his room where his blasted brother was banging on it and shouting his name. The little bastard was dead, he swore vehemently as he jerked his blanket off and threw his feet to the floor. Making sure that nothing could be seen and Inuyasha wouldn't know his condition, Sesshomaru opened the door and stared at the buffoon.

Apparently something in his expression got through to the idiot because he took a step back and swallowed compulsively. "Ah. We, uh, got a message from, uh, command." Inuyasha took a step back, gathering all his bluster from before, and forced his terrified expression into a sneer. "So hurry and get dressed, asshole!" He pointed in a somewhat threatening way and then turned and left. He was NOT running away from certain death.

Sesshomaru sighed as the door closed and he rested his forehead against the cold metal. This was starting to get out of control, he admitted, if only to himself. Four days and he was reduced to wishing he could stay in his dreams where she was. Where he could hear her voice and feel her touch. Ridiculous. He snorted softly and walked over to his closet.

The small dining hall that was also used as their meeting room was already packed when Sesshomaru got there. Everyone on the small cruiser was seated in the room and there was only one chair left open next to Kouga. Stifling the urge to sigh, he quickly made his way to the chair and steadfastly ignored the pointed stare at the side of his face from the afore-mentioned captain.

Before Kouga could open his mouth and ruin his morning more than it had already been, a chime sounded throughout the room. All eyes swung to the flashing message hovering above the center table, waiting for the communications line to fully sync. With another small chime the small window expanded and they all found themselves looking into the face of their fleet commander. All stood and saluted, as protocol demanded and retook their seats at the appropriate time.

"Good morning." Inu no Taisho's voice was stoically cool, "Thanks to the hard work and perseverance of your teams last mission, I am pleased to announce that you have finally earned a promotion."

The stunned silence after the announcement was short before pandemonium erupted throughout the room. Beside him, Kouga was shouting something along the lines of "About damn time!" and he could pick out Inuyasha from somewhere behind him whooping wordlessly. Inu no Taisho waited patiently for the chaos to quiet, his expression not shifting at all.

When the ruckus had calmed somewhat, he continued. "It is with all seriousness that I tell you there will be no time for rest, however. Your ships' captain has already been sent docking orders for ship modification and resupply. That does not mean that the rest of you can take this time off. Your own itinerary has been decided and will be sent momentarily." He straightened from the slight lean he had been in. "Congratulations and may you continue to work hard as a team."

The communication line dropped and his image blinked out. As if on cue, several chirps sounded through the room and everyone's screens lit up with messages.

"So, what does this make us now?" Sesshomaru heard Taijya whisper and turned his head slightly to look behind him. Kouga frowned lightly and crossed his arms.

"Normally this would put us in the front of the battalion, but…" He trailed off as he read over the message on his screen.

"We've been made into a scout team?!"

Inuyasha's loud screech made Sesshomaru's ears ring, even as he read over the mission parameters he was given. This was, indeed, a very big promotion. To jump so far ahead made Sesshomaru's eyes narrow in suspicion. It was unusual for a clean-up crew to go from trailing the fleet right up to the front, staking out points of interest and infiltrating enemy lines before the battleships. The fact that they weren't going to be transferred to already modified ships could be contributed to the fact that the whole team had been promoted…but it was still unusual. This smelled of higher up machinations.

"Well, whatever the case may be, we sure are going to be busy for the next week. Look at all the training we got going on." Kagura murmured quietly as she read over her schedule while their ship was being outfitted. "It looks like we're going to be docking on Ragnarok."

"Yeah, they've got specialized rooms for training in. It's supposed to give us dangerous scenarios that we have to fight in." Ayame whispered excitedly to Sango and both grinned. While on the meteor base, both had quickly discovered they rather liked the adrenaline rush that built up when in combat with the enemy. It certainly beat sparring with the rest of the team, anyway.

Sesshomaru ignored the others around him as he finished reading over his own schedule. Just as he was about to close out of the message, a small bracket at the bottom caught his eye. Scrolling down even further he read over a personal note directed at himself.

"Convincing your psychic linking partner to remain is your job alone."

With a small jolt Sesshomaru felt his eyes widen slightly. He had forgotten. Higurashi wasn't his permanent linking partner. She was only supposed to stand in for Hojo for the week. His mind blanked momentarily before kicking into overdrive. The first thought to cross his mind was whether or not she was worth the effort of convincing. That was quickly decided when memories of the power the both of them could harness crossed his mind. Leaving the strange way she made him feel off to the side, he admitted that they probably wouldn't be getting this promotion if it hadn't been for her, anyway.

With a small frown and a narrowing of his eyes, he stood from his chair and headed back towards his room. So he was keeping her, but now how to convince her she wanted to stay with him? As his partner. His frown deepened at the strange turn his thoughts were taking. Figuring out how to make the girl stay his partner was going to take some planning, and according to his schedule he had sixteen hours to do it.

* * *

Kagome wiped her damp palms on her pants and took a deep breath. Seated at the last booth in the telecommunications room, she stared into the blank screen that she was about to use. Letting out her breath in a rush she leaned forward and pressed the call button for the number she had already entered. The waiting symbol flashed repeatedly and then stopped as the screen colored and she found herself looking into a well missed face.

"Hey mom."

"Kagome?" The elder Higurashi blinked in astonishment before a large smile split her face. "Kagome! Oh, dear, I wasn't expecting you to call today!" Her exclamation was loud and Kagome felt an answering smile spread over her own face. In the background she heard a loud crash followed by her Ji-chan's howl. Raising an eyebrow at her mom in question, Ms. Higurashi waved it off and adjusted herself in her chair.

"Oh, don't worry about him, he's fine. What happened?"

"Kagome blinked and tried to keep her face straight. "What do you mean 'what happened?' Nothing happened! Can't I just call home from time to time?"

Ms. Higurashi's own face blanked. "The fact that you haven't called home since you moved to Eden would make this a novelty, Kagome." Her mother's tone was dry and Kagome winced at the jab.

"I sent messages!" She tried to defend herself and her mother's eyebrow raised in challenge. At the look, Kagome sank into her chair and admitted defeat. "Sorry. I meant to call home sooner, it's just I got so busy as soon as I got here. The equipment I'm allowed to experiment with and the many plant species I-"

"Yes, dear. Your messages said as much. While it's nice that you're so involved with your work, I want to know what is troubling you enough for you to call."

Kagome paused and realized she was holding her breath again. As she took another breath and tried to relax her shoulders, she was horrified to realize that tears were building up in her eyes and her throat felt constricted. Oh, hell. She was going to cry.

Ms. Higurashi watched as her daughters face quickly crumbled and all the teasing left her. She sat towards the screen and angled it to get a better look into Kagome's eyes. "Oh, baby, what's wrong?" She asked quietly and it seemed to be the leak that broke the dam. With a sympathetic and worried eye, Ms. Higurashi tightened her lips as Kagome let out a small sob.

With shuddering breaths and small pauses interspersed with sniffles, Kagome explained the situation she currently found herself in. As she got to the part where she had linked with her partner, Ms. Higurashi was intrigued by the small flush that crawled up her neck and onto her cheeks. Listening intently through to the end, she reserved all thoughts until Kagome had gotten it all out. She was relieved to realize that the only thing really wrong with her was an over-abundance of stress and frustration.

"What am I going to do, momma?" Kagome ended, her tears already dry and only the sniffling remaining.

"Well, what do you want to do, Kagome?" Her mother asked as she folded her hands in front of her. "Did the fleet commander say you couldn't continue looking over your plants?"

"No. He said it would be fine if I kept doing what I was doing." Kagome trailed as she thought over the strange negotiations she had been in earlier.

"Do you not like linking with this Captain Taisho? Is it too scary going into enemy territory with him?"

"Well, no. I mean…linking with him is…" Kagome trailed off again and a blush heated her cheeks. She caught the knowing smile on her mothers' face and scowled back. "I mean, I don't have any problems with the linking itself." She hurried on, hoping her mother wouldn't tease her.

"Then what is the problem?" Ms. Higurashi asked, deciding to tease the younger woman at a later time.

"I just…feel like I'm backed into a corner." Kagome crossed her arms and looked out into the empty room. A soft chuckle brought her eyes back to her mother.

"Kagome, you have to stop being so stubborn. You are just like your father."

Kagome's eyes softened and she smiled wistfully. Another loud bang sounded in the background behind Ms. Higurashi. Both women watched as a dusty Ji-chan came stumbling out from the room behind Ms. Higurashi.

"Here I am, an old man, struggling with various objects and you're on a communications line?!"

Kagome giggled as the old man started his rant. He stopped mid-word at her giggle and squinted into the screen. "Who's that? Who're you talking to?" His eyes widened and then narrowed as he recognized his granddaughter. "Well, if it isn't the ungrateful granddaughter who never calls!"

Kagome winced and scratched the back of her head. "Heh, hi, Ji-chan." She said lowly and tried not to laugh when she realized he wasn't listening. Instead he was fully consumed with his lecture on the proper way to treat the elderly and how ungrateful some people where. Ms. Higurashi rolled her eyes and smiled back at her daughter.

"I had better let you go, dear. This will take a while."

"Love you, mom."

"Love you too. Call again once you've decided on what you're doing. I'll give you an update on Souta as well."

Kagome grinned and nodded even as she reached for the call-end button. "Sure thing! Bye mom! And thanks!"

Kagome sat back and rubbed at the salt trails left on her cheeks. Good thing no one else had been in the room. How embarrassing it would have been for someone to see her blubbering like an idiot. She really needed to get her screen modified with higher range. Not being able to call from the ship was really going to be an inconvenience.

xXx

So, here it is. As always, thank you for reading and please review! Thank you to all of you that have reviewed and left such lovely comments and opinions. I don't have much free time right now but I promise I will soon and I will be able to comment back to all of you. Reading your reviews makes my day and keeps me going, so thank you again and hopefully you continue to enjoy!


	8. Chapter 8

Chapter Eight

"It's about time we got a promotion. Jeez, it's been how long?" Ginta lot out a breath as he reclined in the chair facing the projectors. Beside him, Naraku crossed his arms over the top of the table, resting his weight on his elbows.

"Well, I have to say that the meteor base fiasco was a stroke of good luck in our favor." Naraku paused and slid a sly glance at Kagome's face. "And a big thanks to you for noticing that trick wall." His tone was suggestive and had her back up in an instant.

Naraku's smirk grew as he noticed the uncomfortable look on her face. Before he could pursue that line of questioning, someone kicked at his ankle and he shot a glance to the stoic woman sitting to his right. Kikyo pointedly kept her gaze from her fellow psychic, allowing her eyes to meet with her cousins. As the technician in charge of their team walked into the room, Kikyo allowed a small smile to grace her lips directed at Kagome.

Kagome felt something buried deep inside her unclench at the familiar look as she turned her attention to the newest addition in their meeting.

"So, as you all have heard, the team has earned a large promotion. You are going from being a back-end clean-up crew to a front of the line scouting party. As such, there will be a new regimen for each of you as well as training schedules that you will need to adhere to. A few of you will also have to take extra sessions with specific instructors that will be sent to your respective ships."

At the end of his short speech each psychic looked from one to the other. Raised eyebrows and slight frowns were shared from one person to the next. Hakaku leaned forward gaining the attention of the tech.

"Extra sessions? What kind of sessions are we talking about?" His tone was suspicious as he eyed the tech, Stephan Mallory, closely.

"There are certain situations that you will have to be well versed in, in case of emergencies." He paused as he looked about the room, meeting each of the psychics' gazes. "With your new positions, there will be many instances where you will be called to act at a higher level than you have been. As such, more training will be needed."

His eyes briefly slid to Kagome and then away. "Your new schedules as well as the name of your instructors will be sent to you after the meeting. Is there anything else someone wishes to discuss?" The resounding silence after his statement brought a tight smile to his face. "Then I suggest we convene at a later time this week to go over anything we might think of after we get used to the changes."

With that the projections shut down and the meeting was over. Kagome turned to look at Miroku and was surprised that he was already out of his seat and headed for the door. With scrunched brows, Kagome stood from her seat and followed after him.

"Hey, Miroku, wait up!" She jogged lightly to his side and caught him by the arm. Looking quickly up into his face she was shocked to catch a grimace before it smoothed over into his usual flirty smile. She let go of his arm and took a step back as he fully turned to her, showing an overly bright expression.

"What is it, Kagome?"

Even his tone was overly cheerful and Kagome felt a twinge of unease twist in her belly. Before she could find the words to question exactly what was wrong with him, he turned away and headed towards the door again. "Well, I'll talk to you later, Kagome."

She was left standing there, not understanding exactly what had just happened.

* * *

Kagura neatly dodged to her left as a fist came down at her. Smirking at the scowl that covered the younger Taisho's face as his attack left him unbalanced, and in direct range of a counterstrike, she gently placed a hand onto his shoulder and shoved as hard as she could. Inuyasha sprawled on his back and tried to control his heavy breathing.

"Damn, Kaze. How the hell are you so fast?!" He grumbled more to himself than actually asking. Kagura tossed her sweat-dampened hair out of her eyes and looked down her nose at her sparring partner for the day.

"I don't put so much force behind my attacks. I don't rely on strength like you or Wolfe, but on stealth and efficiency."

Inuyasha snorted and wiped at the sweat beading his upper lip. Noticing that his breathing was somewhat back to normal he twisted up onto his knees then stood, placing his hands on his hips. "Wanna go another round? We still have four hours 'til dinner."

Kagura shook her head and ran a hand through her hair. "Nah, I got other stuff to do before we dock at Ragnarok." She said dismissively and headed out of the training room and towards the showers. She rolled her eyes as she heard the boy pick a fight with Wolfe behind her.

Showering quickly and dressing in her usual fatigues, Kagura tried to keep her pace sedate as she headed back to her room. It didn't fit her image to rush down the halls, and she hadn't been lying when she said she had things to do. Or rather one thing.

Entering her room quickly, she made sure the panel was locked, and walked over to her screen, placidly sitting beside her bed. Picking it up she was irritated to realize her palms were clammy. Her thumb swiped over an icon in the upper left and she watched as the communications link was initiated. Her heart was thumping now, and she stifled the urge to swallow compulsively.

"Hello, this is the Kaze Unit. How may I-"

The cheery, yet mellow voice on the other end cut off as both parties were able to focus on the other. Kagura let a tight smile cross her lips, while the woman at the other end smiled broadly back. "Oh, Ms. Kagura! It's so nice to see you."

"You as well, Miss Shiori." Kagura stopped there and realized she didn't know what else to say. It was unnecessary for her to worry, however, as Shiori had no problem with keeping up the conversation.

"You've called at a good time! She's very lucid today and we haven't had any relapses all week."

Kagura felt her heart kick up a notch and scooted forward slightly on her bed, jostling the screen a bit. "Has she- I mean can I- Do you think…?"

Shiori smiled softly and turned her head to glance into a room just out of view. Her eyes saddened slightly when she caught sight of the subject of their conversation before her face brightened as she turned back to the nervous soldier on the line. "Of course you can speak with her." Her smile lessened somewhat as she continued. "But I will have to be in the room to monitor her condition."

Kagura shook her head, her excitement over the prospect of being able to speak with her sister outweighed the fact that it couldn't be in private. "No, that's fine! You…you said she was lucid…?" Kagura damned herself for her stuttering, but couldn't seem to stop it. "She'll remember me?"

Shiori couldn't conceal the sadness this time, even if she tried. "Yes. As I said, no relapses for a whole week." Her statement came out sounding weaker than she wanted it to be, but there was no help for it in this situation. Looking to make sure that Kagura was prepared, Shiori turned and called out to the only other occupant in the unit.

"Kanna-chan! Come talk to Kagura!"

Shiori stood from the chair in front of the large screen and guided a taller and slimmer female into it. Kagura let out a deep breath as she gazed into her older sister's dark eyes. A smile twitched at the corners of her lips, more out of stress than anything, and her hands clutched her screen tightly as she waited for Kanna's reaction.

Though her expression remained mostly blank, a breezy smile flitted over her mouth. "Kagura-chan." Her light voice sounded relieved and delighted all at once and Kagura felt the same emotions swell inside her chest. Choking back the urge to cry, Kagura allowed a true smile out as she squinted her eyes to stop the tears.

"Hey, Kanna. I'm so glad to see you!" Her voice warbled slightly and she wiped at her eyes to get rid of the moisture. Sniffing slightly she leaned her elbows on the tops of her thighs and stared down into the screen. "How have you been? What have you been doing?" She asked lightly and glanced to Shiori to see if it was alright. Shiori nodded slightly and smiled at Kanna when she turned around.

"Shiori-chan and I walk in the garden in the mornings and then we go to our flower-arranging classes." Kanna said softly, confirming her story with Shiori before turning back to smile limply at Kagura.

Kagura smiled back. "I see. Do you like arranging flowers?" She hadn't known her sister was taking classes, but she was glad to see it seemed to be helping her.

"Yes. It calms me down." Kanna answered airily and leaned her arms on the table. "What about you Kagura? Are you close to graduation yet?"

Kagura felt her heart stop for a moment and Shiori stood from the wall she was leaning against. Looking to Shiori in questioning panic, Kagura opened her mouth to answer. "Uh, I…already graduated, Kanna." Still looking to Shiori, who was watching Kanna worriedly, Kagura continued. "I've been in the military for almost eight years now."

Kagura glanced back to Kanna and both froze at the blank expression on her sister's face. Kanna blinked slowly and cocked her head to the side. "Eight years…? But you had just…and mom and dad…Hakudoshi…"

At the name muttered last, Kagura felt her breath leave in a whoosh and her panicked gaze met Shiori's own. "Oh crap." Shiori uttered beneath her breath as she approached her patient from behind slowly.

"Kanna-chan…?" She asked lowly as she gently placed her hand in the middle of the woman's back. At this point, Kanna was muttering quickly to herself and seemed to be seconds away from hyperventilating. A warning beep came from the monitor built into her armband, followed by more in rising succession. Throwing a quick glance at the woman on the other side of the screen Shiori opened a drawer to the right of the table, pulling out a needle already filled with the necessary sedative.

"Sorry, Ms. Kagura." Shiori got out before Kanna began shrieking and pulling at her hair. Kagura watched, helpless, from her bed, the tears she had been fighting streaming down her face. She watched through blurred vision as Shiori fought her sister to the ground, all the while Kanna was wailing and screaming. The sudden silence on the other end had her pressing her hand to her mouth to keep her sobs in check.

Shiori's head came up from under the table and her tired eyes met with Kagura's. "Sorry, Ms. Kagura." She reiterated and Kagura hid her face in both her hands, shaking her head quickly. She opened her mouth to say that it wasn't her fault and 'thank you for taking care of my sister' but all that came out were strangled sobs.

Shiori sat in the chair and placed a hand on the side of the screen. "I have to put her back in bed and call the doctor." She trailed off slightly, holding back tears of her own. "I'll contact you when she's stable again. Is there anything you'd like me to tell her when she's lucid?"

Kagura let out a shake-y sigh and scrubbed the tears from her face. "No. I don't want her upset again." She met Shiori's gaze and both tried to smile. It wasn't working. "Just tell her I love her." Shiori nodded and both women closed off the link. Kagura gently placed her screen back on her nightstand and curled up on her bed, bringing her pillow to her front and hugging it to her chest. The tears were building up again, and she knew from past experiences that it was easier to just let it all out now than have it build up for later.

Kanna had been a brilliant girl. Top of her class, a psychic. The pride of the whole family when she had graduated and been put with an elite team of battle-links. A year before Kagura had been able to graduate herself, Kanna's team had been ambushed. Her partner, Hakudoshi, had been grievously wounded. Just before his death, Kanna's pod had severed their link and brought Kanna back forcibly. She had been the only one to survive, if you could call this surviving.

She had retained the majority of her mental faculties, and so the doctors had deemed her worthy of going home, on the off-chance she would make a full recovery in familiar surroundings. It hadn't been until a week after she was discharged that her lapses in memory started. It had been small things at first. She would forget to do things or would forget where she put stuff. Then it was she wouldn't remember certain people or places or events. This quickly progressed into a sort of age regression. At its worst, Kanna would think and act like she was an eight year old again.

It had been their parent's deaths that had caused the tantrums and fits that called for tranquilizers. They had been traveling to another ship to meet with a doctor that specialized in psychic trauma, when their cruiser had a malfunction, causing the oxygen regulators to implode. Kagura was told that their deaths would have come so fast, they wouldn't have felt it. Not that that brought her any comfort. Kanna had shut down completely after that.

Clutching the pillow to herself tighter, Kagura allowed her sobs to echo in her small room. This was the real reason she needed four hours before she had to be out and about again. After all, she had an image to protect, and she would never allow anyone to see her heartbreak.

* * *

Kagome reclined on her bed and pulled out her screen. Her itinerary for the next couple of days had been sent along with what her schedule would be if she agreed to stay linked to Taisho. She snorted at the presumptuousness of a certain silver haired commander, then thought it over seriously. While it was true that she absolutely loved what she did, and simply adored her plants, her life had been strangely lacking something.

Before linking with Taisho, she wouldn't have even noticed, but after...

Turning to her side, she again checked over the timetable they had given her. She presumed that free time meant she could do whatever she wanted, and it seemed they had given her an abundance of it. Nearly eight hours every day was labeled as free time. They had also given her a seven hour sleeping schedule, leaving nine hours a day to the military. All subject to change, of course. More often than not, she would have more free time on certain days and depending on the mission, would spend a whole lot of time linked on other days.

According to the schedule, she wouldn't link with Taisho again until late tomorrow evening. The rest of her day was labeled as free time. She could play in her lab until the evening meal and then after she would play- LINK! Link with Taisho. A thrill snaked up her back and brought goosebumps down her arms She grit her teeth and locked her jaw at the giddy sensation she got when she thought of linking with the captain again.

Setting her screen into its default alarm clock mode, Kagome set it on the nightstand. Waving a hand over the panel in her headboard, she sighed as the lights went out and got under her covers. Before she had linked with Taisho, she realized, her life had been missing excitement. Not that she would ever admit that out loud.

* * *

Sango grumbled to herself as she tossed various items out of her closet and into the small duffel that was supposed to tide her over while they were docked at Ragnarok. Seeing as many things were to be modified and overhauled, they had been notified that a section of the barracks had been prepared for them. She rolled her eyes as she could imagine what "prepared" meant. She just hoped to whatever that whoever's bunk she would be taking had not left anything behind. If she found a stash of women's underthings under her mattress one more time…

A sharp chirp from her screen brought her out of her dark musings. Looking over to see who would be calling her in the early hours, she was confused to see it was her mother. Picking up the screen with trepidation, she hesitated before answering. 'C'mon, girl. It'll only be worse the longer you make the woman wait.' With a final try at motivation, she swiped her finger to accept the call and pasted on a wide smile.

"Hey Mo-"

"God dammit, Sango! What have your father and I told you! You never listen to a damn thing I say! You and your brother both!"

Letting the smile drop and tuning out her mother's loud ranting, Sango set her screen against the duffel and turned back to her closet. Though she didn't think she would need her spare uniform, she doubted it would hurt to take it along anyway, right?

"Are you hearing me?!"

The final squawk caught Sango's ears and she turned her eyes from the navy top to look at the red tomato that resembled her mother's face. Rolling her eyes in an overly exaggerated way, Sango dropped her shirt and shambled to the bed. "Mother, I don't even know what it was I was supposed to have done wrong in the first place. Now why are you screaming?"

"Oh! Playing coy, now? Just like your father!"

Sango rolled her eyes again and threw herself on top of the mattress, bringing her screen up to face her mother head-on. She raised an eyebrow to get her mother's attention mid-rant and hid the satisfaction she felt when it seemed to work. It really had paid off to learn how her father dealt with her mother. "I'm talking about the shady promotion you accepted!"

Letting out a breath, Sango felt her hand come up to her head as she shielded her eyes. "Oh man. Here we go."

"Soldiers don't just jump in ranks like that unless there is something going on under the table. What have you gotten yourself into?! I told your father it was a bad idea to let you join the western fleet! Two generations of military background wasted on clean-up duty?! Don't even get me started on your brother! And now you are signing on to be a part of a scout team?!"

Sango sat up and brought her screen close. "Mom! Nothing shady is going on!" She shouted and was satisfied to see her mother pause. It wasn't often you could get the corporal to stop mid-rant, and so far only her superiors had successfully managed it. Well, them, and her husband, of course. "We had a lucky break and exploited it." Her face lit up slightly as she remembered the rush she got while they had hunted down their targets. During the small skirmishes there hadn't been time to analyze anything, just movement and strategy. But afterwards!

"Mom! You should have seen it! I took down two of those bastards by myself!"

Mariko Taijya studied her daughters face and felt her bluster fade. Who was she to rain on her parade? Listening intently as her daughter described what had happened on the meteor base and what they had found, she felt the knife of unease in her stomach twist ever more so. Deciding to think and act on it later, she smiled at the excited cast to Sango's face.

The whole family, being strictly military, had been shocked and disappointed when Sango's orders had come in the day after her graduation. None more than Sango, herself, had been. And sprinkled liberally over her disappointment had been embarrassment. While Mariko had ranted and raved over the injustice, her husband had put his indignation behind him and had pulled Sango aside. Resting his hand on his daughters shoulder, he had looked into her eyes with the same expression of pride he had always looked at her with.

"This is not a setback, nor is it permanent." He had started as he met the tear-drenched eyes of his eldest. "This is but a chance to learn all that you can. A chance to find out for yourself what you want to do and where you want to go. Take these orders and use them for the stepping stone that they are. You can only go up from here."

The tears had spilled over at this point and Sango had bitten her lip, trying to stop herself from crying.

"And never doubt, for one second, that your mother and I, all of us, are proud of you. You have become a strong and independent woman right before my eyes." Glancing over at her cousin, who she had given a black eye during their sparring, a grin quirked his lips. "And you have become a damn fine soldier." Chuckles followed in the wake of his teasing statement and Sango had found her own laughter bubbling up under the heavy feelings in her chest. "So go. Join this team in the western fleet and grow ever stronger. As only one of our family can."

A shout had followed his speech, and Mariko had once again found herself charmed by the quiet man she had married all those years ago.

"Mom. Are you listening?" Sango interrupted her flashback and Mariko, still caught up in the warm-fuzzy's she always got from that particular memory, smiled broadly back at the lowered brow look her daughter was shooting her.

"Well, I suppose if you're satisfied by the turn of events, I won't bug you about it." She answered eventually as she shook of the lingering memories. "Your father will probably call you sometime tomorrow. If you have a full schedule you should send him a link of when would be a good time. Also, please get in touch with Kohaku. It's bad enough that the both of you have joined the western fleet, but neither of you calling home is getting to be rather ridiculous."

Sango winced and agreed, ending the call with her mother. Looking over at her duffle, and then back to the time on her alarm, she decided she had just enough time before docking to call the squirt. 'What vessel had he decided to become a civil officer on? Oh, right. Eden.'

Picking up her screen, she scrolled through and found the numbers that would connect to her younger brother. She hadn't spoken to him since his graduation some four months prior, but according to her mother, he had chosen to stay on-ship as part of the civilian military police. Though it was a part of the military faction, it was considered lower duty. The family had been outraged, especially considering he had chosen it in his assessment, but they had gotten over it…somewhat.

"Hey, sis."

Sango snapped back to it and met the shy smile of her brother Kohaku. He was in uniform, so he must have been on duty.

"Are you busy? I can call back later." She asked as she again checked to make sure she had everything packed.

"Nah, I was due for a short break, anyway. What's up? How you been?"

Letting out a small sigh Sango collapsed on her bed, bringing her screen up with her. "I assume mom hasn't gotten ahold of you yet?" She waited for his raised eyebrow and slight nod. "We got a promotion. Front line scouts." She trailed off and stared to the right of the screen. Almost a year and a half on this ship and a handful of missions, and suddenly they were getting a huge promotion…? Yeah, ok, maybe her mom had been on to something being really suspicious.

"Well, that's great, isn't it?" Kohaku asked tentatively, still not understanding why their mother would have been upset over this.

Sango rolled to her side and propped her face in her hand, setting the screen against the duffle beside her. "Yeah it is, she just thinks that I'm getting involved in something shady. I have to admit, now that she's said something and the glamor is fading, I have to agree."

Kohaku 'hmm-ed' in thought and had to agree slightly. It did sound like upper management maneuvering. "Yeah, it is weird. But not when you take into account that two of the western fleet commander's children are on board and a part of your team. What was weird is that they would be put into a clean-up crew anyway. Maybe they were just waiting for the right moment to move you guys up? It's kinda funny that a few days after they coerced Dr. Higurashi into being Captain Taisho's partner you guys get promoted."

Sango jerked slightly and stared at her brother's face. "You know the captain's psy-link partner?" She watched in fascination as her brothers ears turned red and he raised a hand to cover his mouth.

"Well, yeah. I was put in charge of the security to her lab." He was mumbling now and Sango felt the teasing grin every sister got when their sibling was embarrassed stretch over her lips.

"Oh-ho? Really?" She stretched her questions out and reveled in the way he squirmed. A sound of the door swooshing open came from behind Kohaku, and the boy turned tomato red as he looked to see who it was.

"Taijya-san? Are you alright?" The sound of a woman speaking to her brother had Sango leaning forward slightly. If the reaction the person had on her brother, and the conversation they were just having was anything to go by, then this was Kagome Higurashi herself.

"Oh, I'm sorry, I didn't mean to interrupt your call…"

A dark head of hair peeked over her brother's shoulder, followed by the brightest blue eyes Sango could ever remember seeing.

"Ah, Dr. Higurashi, this is my sister, Sango Taijya." Kohaku awkwardly introduced and jumped when both women exclaimed.

"Miroku's Sango?!"

"Captain Taisho's Higurashi?"

Both women pressed closer to examine the other, curiosity and excitement shimmering in the both of their eyes. Kohaku felt himself blush again as Kagome placed a hand on his shoulder to get a better look from his screen. Deciding it wasn't good for his heart to be so close to her, he almost tossed the screen at her as he stood from the chair in the breakroom and headed back to his station, mumbling he had to get back to work anyway.

"Oh, shoot. I'm sorry to cut into your conversation with your brother!" Kagome winced as she held up the screen, staring into the pretty face of Miroku's obsession, er, partner. Sango waved it off, sitting up from her lounging position and crossing her legs.

"Don't worry about it! We can talk anytime!" She leaned forward slightly, holding her screen between both of her hands. "So tell me, what's it like being linked to Taisho?" Her eyes lit up when Kagome's face colored.

"Only if you tell me how you like having Miroku linked to you!" Kagome felt satisfaction fill her up when Sango blushed beet-red. "Thought so."

"Don't you say anything to that pervert!"

Kagome laughed and turned towards the door. "I feel bad for taking Taijya-san's screen, so I'm gonna return you."

"Oh wait! Give me your link numbers! We should totally talk for real!" Sango said and blinked at the almost desperate way she felt about not being able to speak to the girl again. Kagome laughed guiltily and scratched the back of her head.

"Actually, I can't make calls off ship. I've been so distracted by my work, I never got an upgrade." At the thunderous look on Sango's face, Kagome waved her hand frantically. "But I put in the work order this morning! I should have it set up by tomorrow! Give me your link number and I'll call when it's operational!"

Sango agreed and the two of them exchanged information. Kagome walked out to the guards' station and handed the screen back to Kohaku, apologizing again for taking it. With a smile on her face at the prospect of gaining a new friend, Kagome turned to her lab and opened the first door. It looked like her day was starting off right, for the first time in almost a week.

Sango grinned up at her brother's disgruntled face. "I can see why you've got a crush. She's pretty cute, huh?"

"Shut up!"

xXx

Thank you for reading and please review. My vacation from work starts today so I'm hoping to have more time to get some of this out and answer a bunch of reviews from you all.


	9. Chapter 9

Chapter Nine

Her hands brushed lightly over the sensitive bulbs and the smile that was starting to stretch over her face grew. In the last couple of days, while she had been distracted over her battle link dilemma, her baby had grown into the optimal parameters to place it into the deoxygenating chamber. Bringing her screen over to the plant, she lined it up and swiped a finger over the scanner icon. Backing up slightly she watched as her screen focused on the plant and uploaded its state for processing. As the numbers and algorithms put themselves into their prospective places, she quickly typed in her analysis of the vines and the bulbs, adding her thoughts on why, though it looked ready, the plant hadn't already bloomed.

She was just finishing up her report to the head researcher, when she heard the labs door open. Looking up, she gave a quick smile to Micah and Rin before finalizing her draft and sending it out.

"That's a creepy grin ya got on your face, Kagome." Micah's slightly accented voice floated over the other plants in the room and Kagome rolled her eyes.

"That's because she's finally ready!"

Rin's eyes lit up and she stepped away from her mentor and towards the other botanist in the room. "The plants ready for the chamber?" She asked in excitement and Micah groaned.

"Oh, for the love of-" She grabbed a hold of the teenager and glared towards Kagome. "Please don't infect my pupil with your strange addiction to plants."

Kagome scoffed good naturedly at the older botanist before grinning at Rin. "Yup! Just sent the analysis report to the head office. Hopefully they approve my request and we could send her in the chamber sometime this week!"

Micah rolled her eyes. "As if they would deny a request from you, oh glorious prodigy." Kagome raised an eyebrow at her and Micah lifted her screen, checking off the plant to her right. "You could ask for five new planters and fire-rock salt mulch and they would get it to you, no questions asked." Though she was teasing the younger girl, she couldn't help the jealousy that rang through her prodding.

Kagome felt her grip tighten on the screen and sweat beading on her lower back. Straightening slightly from her previous position, Kagome stared hard at Micah, who was studiously staring into her screen. "That's not true." She winced slightly when her voice cracked a little in the end. "It's not like that, Micah."

Rin stood in between the two women, not understanding exactly what had changed the mood in the room, or why it suddenly seemed like they were fighting. Twisting her fingers together she looked from the hurt gaze of Kagome into the downward cast of Micah's eyes. She had been under the instruction of Micah for over three months now, and never had the woman in her mid-thirties ever looked the way she did.

Letting out a sigh, Micah looked up from her screen and over to Kagome, shaking off old hurts along the way. "I know. Sorry, Kagome. I guess I still feel a little resentment towards the way things worked out." Kagome swallowed back her own hurt and looked away. It had been her fault that Micah had been bumped down the research ladder, losing her own lab. The very lab that Kagome was now in charge of.

"It hadn't been your fault, Kagome." Micah reprimanded when she watched the guilt twist her face. "It had been mine." She paused as an idea hit. "Or rather it had been that bitch, Anderson."

Kagome looked up at the mention of the head researcher in their division, a small smile working its way up at the threatening smile plastered over Micah's face.

"That bitch had been trying to beat me down since the day she was brought here. You were just the name she used to do it." Tossing her head slightly, moving the dark red curls over her shoulder in the process, Micah crossed her arms over her chest. "But, I'm expecting you to do what I couldn't, Kagome. Knock that toad down the ladder a few rungs, huh?"

Kagome laughed and crossed her own arms. "You keep saying that and our plan will be heard all over this ship!"

"Good! Put some fear in that obnoxious hyena." Micah glanced over at Rin and put up an overly exaggerated frown. "Don't you tell anyone our secret plot, now! Or we'll have to do you in!"

Kagome snorted just as a ding came from her screen. "You sound like an old fashioned gangster from one of those old movies." She swiped her finger over the message icon and ignored Micah's comeback and Rin's giggles. Her heart leapt as she read over the acceptance from the same woman the both of them were just talking about. She had been slotted a spot in the chamber for tomorrow morning.

"Your report was accepted?" Micah asked when the younger woman stopped responding to their conversation.

Kagome frowned slightly as she read over the timetable she had been given, then switched to check the schedule she had been sent by the military. They overlapped slightly and Kagome scrunched her brows. Though she wasn't scheduled to do anything until later tonight, tomorrow morning she had a meeting with an instructor. The same time she would be putting her plant in the chamber.

"Something wrong?" Rin asked when Kagome didn't respond. Kagome shook her head slightly and smiled at the teen.

"No, just conflicting schedules." She looked over to Micah. "What's on your guys' agenda for today?" She asked lightly, changing the subject.

Micah lifted a brow, but decided against questioning it. Instead she brought her screen up and grinned. "We're slotted to check on Dr. Hammel's carnivorous plants in a little bit." She grinned when Rin paled and looked over to Kagome. "Want to tag along?"

* * *

"So, explain to me again why that bastard doesn't have to be here?" Inuyasha grunted out as he took another hit from the simulated enemy before delivering a counter blow, effectively eliminating it. He heard Kikyo let out a small gasp in his mind as he recovered from the hit, rolling his shoulder back. To his left, Kouga snorted and took out another simulated enemy before meeting his eyes.

"I told you he has other things to be trained in. His weakness in battle isn't speed, Bakayasha."

Inuyasha scowled and ducked under the claws swiping at his head, bringing his practice saber up in a haphazard strike. "Yeah, well neither is it yours, so why are you here?!"

'To your right, Inuyasha!' Kikyo warned and grit her teeth when, again, she felt the sting of impact on her own shoulder. 'Please pay attention!' Her patience was wearing thin, her partner wasn't concentrating the way she needed him to.

Right from the start, each member, omitting Captain Taisho, had gone off and done their own thing, treating this as a search and destroy like they were used to. No matter how Kikyo had tried to get Inuyasha to stick with the others and work together, the boy had been stubborn about it. They weren't told what the simulation was, as per instructions. It was their job to figure it out and come out of it on top.

Forty minutes into the simulation, Kikyo had realized exactly what the parameters of the "mission" were. The practice simulation had been one of those ambush scenarios and they had been fighting off hordes of aliens for over an hour already. It was supposed to build endurance as well as unify them as a team, however Kikyo felt they weren't ready for this at all.

Especially considering the fact that none of them were willing to work together without Captain Taisho there to bully them into it. Kouga, while trained to be a leader of the team, didn't command the respect and trust of those under him. Kikyo supposed this simulation was chosen as their first to point out the obvious. She sensed two more enemies behind them and warned her partner even as she prepared his energy to buffer the blows.

The expected pain from her own back had her letting out ragged pants, even as she moved his energy to the places he needed it. 'Are you ok, Kikyo?' His worried question had her simmering anger boiling over.

'No, Inuyasha, I am not "ok"! Get your head out of your ass and team up with everyone else! This is not a solo mission! You have teammates with you for a reason!' Her hissed statements had Inuyasha tripping over himself and accidentally avoiding a strike from an enemy. Righting himself quickly, he brought his saber up and through the enemy before rounding on another sidling up to his left.

'But, Kikyo-!'

'No "but's", Inuyasha! Go and cover Wolfe's left flank! It's his vulnerable spot!'

With furrowed brows and grumbles under his breath, Inuyasha made it over to the spot Kikyo had directed him, taking down those closing in on them. 'There, happy?'

'No. Call over to Kaze. Taijya is in need of assistance and Shiro won't make it to her in time.' Inuyasha shouted as instructed, even as he fought off the enemy surrounding Kouga and himself. 'Now, direct them to head back to us. We need to band together to make it out of this!'

Taking out the enemy in front of him, Inuyasha glanced quickly over to take in their teammates situations. "Kagura! Sango! Start heading towards us! Ayame! Use your whip to clear a path and fall in behind them!"

Too tired and strained to disagree, all three women nodded and put the plan into effect, making their way to Inuyasha and Kouga. Kouga glanced back at Inuyasha in irritation. "What do you think you're doing, Bakayasha?" He asked lowly as he turned his attention back to the enemy still swarming in front of him.

"Kikyo said we haveta stick together, Wolfe. It's the only way to beat this simulation." Inuyasha answered back, just as lowly. He turned a surprisingly serious eye onto the one who was supposed to be his superior. "You weren't leading us, so someone has to."

Kouga let out a growl even as he took his frustration out on the simulated enemy before him. 'He's got you there, bro.' Hakaku murmured in his head, even as he tried to relax the tension in the Captains shoulders. 'If you weren't so fixated on your jealousy towards Taisho…' He trailed off as they were both distracted by the two enemies attempting to tag-team them.

'Shut up, Hakaku.' Kouga growled back and brought his fist down on the enemy, unsatisfied that he wasn't crunching bone the way he wanted to. Though Inuyasha had been the one voicing his confusion and anger over the other captain's absence, Kouga was the one most affected by it. Mainly because when he had questioned their instructors on why they had different schedules, he had been told that the majority of the reasons were classified. Apparently, Sesshomaru had been chosen for something that the rest of them wouldn't be privy to.

"Wolfe! Start heading towards the doorway to our left! We need to make a choke point!" Inuyasha shouted to be heard over the hissing and growls coming from their enemies. Bulking at being ordered around, but knowing it was a sound idea, Kouga hesitated before doing as instructed. The team slowly made their way through the chaos to the small opening. Inuyasha stood to the left, allowing the others to get into the hall before backing in behind them.

Ayame stood at his side, flashing out her whip and taking multiple enemies in each strike. Sango slumped against the wall, panting for air and wiping at the sweat drenching her forehead. Kagura worked at calming her own breath as she stood with her hand on her hip, her sword hanging at her side in her other hand. Rolling her shoulders back, she moved forward to take Inuyasha's place, allowing him to step back for a breather as well.

"So, what's the plan?" He asked after he had managed to rest a bit. Kouga scowled at him and cracked his knuckles.

"Why don't you tell me, Taisho?" He spat out. "You've been ordering us around up 'til now. You don't have a plan?"

Inuyasha scowled back, but then thought better of it. Allowing a smile that showed more teeth then sincerity, he stood from the wall he had been leaning against. "You saying you don't mind if I take command from you?"

Sensing a pointless fight in testosterone, Sango stood up straight and headed over to take Ayame's place. Kouga bared his teeth at the younger male and stalked forward, grabbing ahold of the front of his suit. "In your fucking dreams, mutt."

Inuyasha growled right back, grabbing Kouga in the same manner and jerking him forward. "Then get your head out of your ass and lead!" He then pushed him back, Kouga letting go of him in the process. Kikyo snorted in his head. 'Wasn't I saying the same thing to you not five minutes ago?' She teased and stifled the urge to laugh at his own snort.

'Keh. Bastard's lucky I don't have a plan.' He muttered to his amused partner, ignoring the threats spewing from Kouga's mouth. "Yeah, yeah, whatever. Look, you got a plan or what? I'm not gonna stay in this freaking simulation all day, dick."

Kouga snorted and looked over passed his teammates still fending off the wave of enemies, albeit in smaller doses then before. His eyes caught on something glittering up and to the left and grinned. 'Ooh, man. Now that's what I'm talking 'bout!' Hakaku crowed in his head, even as he hashed out the impromptu plan to everyone else.

Sango balked at first, always the one to reason on the side of caution. 'Soryu, what do you think?' She asked her abnormally silent partner as she cut down another enemy. She felt the shift in energy as Miroku jolted, as if startled. 'What was that?' He asked in confusion and Sango frowned.

'You weren't listening to the plan? What's going on with you?!'

Miroku grew pensively silent again and Sango felt like punching him. If he was there anyway. 'Oh, right the plan. Yeah sure. It's a good plan.' He mumbled out and Sango felt her eye twitch.

'And you don't think that it will blow us all up too?' She questioned in monotone, sounding more like a statement than an actual question. She felt the emotional equivalent of a shrug from her partner and let out an annoyed huff. 'Whatever.' She didn't know what had crawled up Soryu, but she would be damned if she let him know that it bothered the hell out of her.

He had hardly paid any attention to her throughout the entire exercise! Not that she cared, or missed, his perverted comments and inane rambling. Clicking her tongue in derision as she pushed back a particularly persistent enemy, she let the train of thought go. Apparently they had decided to go through with Wolfe's plan. That meant she needed to focus, because this was going to require a fast pace and perfect timing.

* * *

Sango sat down heavily as the simulation finally ended and the large room they had been in changed into the white walled labyrinth they had first entered. Over to her left Kouga and Inuyasha were busy excitedly exclaiming over the plan that had ended the mission. Boys and their explosions, she thought to herself and stretched her legs out in front of her. She felt Miroku absently going over her tired muscles and was reminded again of his strange behavior.

The silence between them was killing her and she had no idea what to say to end it. Her mind cast about frantically for a subject she could bring up and with a jolt, blue eyes came to mind. 'Oh yeah. You didn't tell me Kagome-chan was such a cutie!' She lead out, intending to shock the silent psychic into asking her how she knew Captain Taisho's partner looked like.

She felt the shock she was looking for roll over her partner, followed by a myriad of emotions that she didn't even know how to decipher. 'You met Kagome?'

The tone he used in that simple question had her heart tripping and her stomach dropping in a way it never had before. The way his voice curled around the other psychic's name confused and irritated something in her. 'Uh, yeah. I called my brother and it turns out he is the guard posted at her lab…' She trailed off, trying to understand the emotions that were coming off of her partner.

'Taijya…of course…' Miroku's tone became more somber as he ruminated over the strange connection he hadn't thought of himself.

Sango squirmed uncomfortably and stood as the instructors announced that they should hit the showers before the debriefing in the meeting room. Her eyes narrowed slightly at the feelings she had inside as she tried to figure out Miroku's. He wasn't…attracted to Kagome-chan…was he? Not that she could blame him if he was, but…

She grit her teeth and pushed the stirrings of jealousy behind her. This wasn't the time to think about such things. 'Uh, going to shower now…' She started and trailed off once again. Miroku seemed to shake himself out of his thoughts enough to answer.

'Of course, another time, Sango-love.' With that she felt the beginnings of him withdrawing from herself. A frown etched into her face as she stalked toward the showers. While he had finally said something normal in the end, his voice had been distracted like he had been the whole time they had been linked. She didn't know what was wrong with him, but she would definitely find out. Kagome had promised to call her, after all.

* * *

"Miss Higurashi. Your screen has been properly modified. If you could just finish this transaction, we could have you wrapped up and ready to go." The technician behind the counter gave her a practiced smile and Kagome smiled back, entering the code to finalize her modification. A nearly silent chime echoed out and Kagome bemoaned the loss in funds for the upgrade. 'I guess I'm not going to get that new bath set this week after all.'

"An instruction manual has been provided under the configuration tab. If you have any questions or there is a problem, feel free to come back."

Kagome thanked the man and walked out the doors into the corridor. It had been a while since she had last been in the commerce sector and, even though she had just made an expensive modification to her screen, she felt it wouldn't hurt to do a bit of window shopping. Passing large groups of people, Kagome marveled over how much room the corridors provided in this sector as opposed to the others.

Walking slowly and absently glancing into shop windows, Kagome paused to admire the newest creation from the brand name Izzy. The clothes were always brightly colored and flowy, looking to be made of light materials. Peering closer into the glass to find the price tag, Kagome snorted when she realized the top was way too expensive for her budget now, anyway.

Where the hell would she wear something like that anyway? She wasn't a part of the entertainment factions, and it would be ridiculous to wear something like that into the labs… Taking another long look at the bright yellow sleeves and darker green accents, she sighed and continued on. Just as she was reaching the shop with all the newest hygienic products, her screens set alarm went off. She had thirty minutes to get to the linking pods for her training with Captain Taisho. Ignoring the fluttering in her stomach she made a hard right and headed toward the lifts in the corner of the food court.

She left the changing rooms, still adjusting the sleeves of her suit, when she caught sight of Wallace setting up the multitudes of wires again. Clenching her teeth, Kagome slowly made her way to the older woman's side. "Why are you setting these up again?" She asked quietly and was amused to see the woman jump in surprise.

"Oh! Miss Higurashi! You scared the bajeezus out of me!" Wallace placed a hand over her heart and beamed a smile at the scowling girl. Her smile fell eventually and she let out a long sigh. "Higher ups orders, Higurashi. You'll be monitored by an instructor on Taisho's side as well. This is a sort of test for Taisho. Making sure he is ready for what's ahead of him."

"And me? What if I don't want to be his partner after this? Shouldn't you be training him with someone more permanent? You know, for this being my decision, the lot of you are making some big assumptions."

Wallace frowned and slowly stood from her crouching position. Her eyes remained steady on Kagome, and Kagome could admit that it was rather intimidating. She took a step forward and Kagome stumbled back a step, not quite sure why she did. Wallace turned slightly and picked up the small torch on the table beside the both of them. Turning back, her usual perky look was back on her face.

"Well, whatever you decide, I just follow orders." She said brightly and turned back towards the mass of wires and connectors. "The pod has already been set up, so why don't you get situated."

Kagome swallowed back the nerves that this woman had brought to the surface. "Uh. Right. Ok…" She managed to stammer out as she took a seat in the pod and placed the electrodes where they were supposed to go. 'I suppose that was her way of telling me to put up or shut up, huh?' She reclined in her chair and waited for the top to drop and her pod to fill.

* * *

Sesshomaru could admit, clearly and honestly, that the man in front of him irritated the hell out of him. Looking to be near his seventies, the senile old man had taken turns asking inane questions and ignoring said answers and forgetting who he was or why he was there. This was supposed to be a debriefing before an instructed training session with his partner, however Sesshomaru realized he wasn't going to get anywhere with the man they had introduced as Totosai Fyre.

"Well, they sent me a sissy boy, anyway. Can you even run fast, sissy boy?" Totosai had been rambling insults for the past ten minutes and Sesshomaru found it was a credit to his patience that he hadn't strangled the old man yet. "Doesn't look like you have much in the way of muscles, either. Let's hope you have a brain under all that girly hair. Can't believe I was asked out of retirement to help a drag queen pass through the assassin trails. Why, in my day, if a boy had hair that long he would be a liability!"

Sesshomaru tensed and turned to stare at the old man, ignoring everything he was saying after a certain phrase. "Assassin trials? What are you talking about, old man?"

Totosai paused in his current diatribe about hippies to squint at the tall young man in front of him. "Eh? Who are you? Where am I?"

Sesshomaru felt his patience snap and he took a menacing step towards the old man. He clenched his fist hard enough to hear a few of his knuckles pop. "Are you playing some sort of game?" His voice came out as a low rumble and the old man's eyes widened marginally, finally taking in the young captain entirely.

"Eh? I don't know-!" His reply was cut off with a high pitched squeal as Sesshomaru grabbed the front of his jumper and lifted him a few inches off the ground. Before he could maim the old man, or perhaps just shake the hell out of him, he felt his psychic link open. His eyes snapped closed and his hands involuntarily loosened, dropping the little old man back to the floor. He didn't see the way the spry old man landed on his feet, or the way he was watching him react to the feeling of his partner's energy.

Her tinkling laughter reached his ears first. 'What's gotten you so riled up already? Don't want to play nice with the other kids?' Her hands smoothed down his shoulders, kneading into the muscles and relaxing the tension he felt there. He let his breath out slowly, if somewhat shaky, and allowed his head to fall forward as her energy traced up his neck and along his scalp in a brief caress.

'Jeez, you're strung up as tight as if we were engaged in combat.' Her murmur caused a shiver down his neck and the hairs on his arms to lift.

'Hn.' He answered noncommittedly and finally opened his eyes. He was met with a narrowed eyed calculative stare from the source of his tension. Narrowing his own amber eyes, Sesshomaru straightened from the lax stance he had slumped into.

Totosai rolled his shoulders back in a stretch as he examined the change in the one that had been placed under his tutelage. He could feel the energy radiating off of the young man, which was impressive, considering he hadn't linked with his own partner yet. Speak of the devil…

'Momo, you're five seconds late.' He chastised his partner quietly and almost smiled to hear the low scratchy laugh in answer.

'Considering I am well passed my prime and still called into action, I think I am due those five seconds.' His psy-link partner was just as old as he himself was, and twice as sharp witted. 'I don't know why you requested me just because you were called back in to mentor a kid still wet behind the ears.'

Totosai snorted. 'And who else could I possibly have? All these young kids these days don't know anything about anything. You know you're the only partner for me, old gal.' An echo of an amused chuckle reached his ears and he eased into the familiarity of combining his energy with his partner. His eyes switched back to the young captain as he again read the energy around him.

'What are you reading from these two, Momo?' He questioned his partner even as he put up the front of a senile old man again. "Eh? What's this? You link with your partner yet, sissy boy? I don't have all day to wait for you to put on your make-up."

Momo's energy snaked out in an undetectable way, feeling along the bands of protection circling the boy Totosai was to mentor. Her eyebrows rose at the slight sting she received as the energy snapped back, warning her away. 'Well. Who did you say was the psychic partner of your boy?' She asked her partner as she again tested the energy.

Totosai scratched the back of his head as he dug through his memories for a name. 'Kagerashi Higakoi...?' Momo snorted and pressed her own energy into his head, drawing out the information she needed. 'Ah, Kagome Higurashi. That would explain some things.'

'Eh, Momo? Explain what?' Totosai asked even as he took a step back from the menacing air around the boy.

'Higurashi has already trained with an assassin. She is farther advanced than her partner. I see now why you were called out of retirement.' Totosai ruminated over this information as he allowed the senile old man façade to fade. 'Well then. I suppose things will be far more interesting then, won't they?'

Meanwhile, Kagome couldn't help but laugh at the old man's comments. 'S-sissy boy? Make-up?' Her laughter rang in his ears and any other time they would have eased the tension he felt inside. Now however, they had his teeth on edge and his fists balling back up. 'Just what-'

Her voice cut off on more giggles and Sesshomaru felt the urge to snarl for her to shut up. Just as he was deciding the most cutting remark to make her amusement stop, his prayers were answered as she abruptly cut of her laughter. Her energy swirled, almost violently before recoiling back to him, as preparing for an attack.

'Taisho, what exactly are we training for and who is that old man?' She asked in a low tone, completely serious for the first time since their link was initiated. Sesshomaru turned his eyes onto the old man before him and realized that he must have linked himself, judging by the change in his demeanor and the energy he himself was now giving off.

'He made mention of an assassin trail.' He answered curtly as he eyed the greatly changed old man. The abrupt shift in his partner's emotions caught his attention even as he kept his senses trained on Totosai. 'Higurashi?'

'I knew it. I knew they would have you slotted for assassination class. It was too weird for you to just be the captain of a back-end clean-up crew.' She was muttering to herself and a lot of the things she was saying went by too fast for him to adequately understand.

'Higurashi.' He intoned and was annoyed when she ignored him and continued to ramble. Having had enough of people ignoring him, he sent a snap of his own energy to her and was gratified when she immediately ceased speaking. The low moan he managed to catch from her surprised him, however.

'What are you doing?' She nearly shrieked and Sesshomaru suppressed the urge to scowl.

'Focus, girl.' He said lowly and refocused his complete attention on the old man in front of him. 'What caught your attention in the beginning?'

'In the beginning? What…oh! He was checking us out.' He allowed her words to register and something like disgust filled his mouth with a bad taste. 'Not like that! I meant his partner was testing our energy. I don't know what they were looking for, but I warned them away anyway.'

'Isn't that something a sparring partner linked with a psychic does anyway?' He asked, not liking how he didn't understand the difference.

'It wasn't the same.' She answered slowly and he realized she was completely fixated on the linked pair in front of him. 'Pay close attention to his movements, Taisho. He's dangerous.' The way she spoke cautiously made him want to scoff, but, and he would never admit this to anyone, he trusted his partner. If she said the senile old man in front of him was dangerous, then he would treat him as such. At least until he could prove that they were more dangerous.

Totosai, seeing that the young captain was ready to proceed seriously, loosened his shoulders and dropped into a slight crouch. "So, can you run fast, sissy boy?" He taunted out loud and disappeared, right before Sesshomaru's eyes.

Kagome felt his energy spike, but he was moving too fast for her to communicate it verbally to her partner. With a shot of adrenaline, she pushed a portion of her energy into his left shoulder and around his right wrist. Going on complete instinct, Sesshomaru dropped his left shoulder back and brought his right fist up, successfully dodging the blow aimed for his shoulder, but only managing to have his arm caught by the old man.

"Well, at least your link has good reflexes." Totosai mumbled as he threw the boys arm from him, causing Sesshomaru to be pushed back a good three feet. "And at least you have enough instinct to follow her lead, sissy boy. Too bad she was partnered with someone like you." He watched unobtrusively as Sesshomaru stiffened and sniffed to himself. "Couldn't even follow my movements. I suppose you CAN'T run fast, sissy boy."

Sesshomaru was passed the point of patience, with a quiet snarl he lunged across the space separating them. 'Taisho!' Kagome gasped even as she tried to buffer his fists with energy. Totosai hadn't so much as twitched from his position, so she surmised that he was more than ready for Sesshomaru's retaliation.

Before she could give Sesshomaru any kind of warning, Totosai's leg shot up and caught Sesshomaru in the jaw, knocking the younger man across the room and into the wall. Slowly lowering his leg, hands resting comfortably in the pockets of his jumper, the old man watched the angry captain climb onto his feet and meet his eyes.

"Now, boy, the real work begins."

xXx

Thank you for reading!


	10. Chapter 10

Chapter Ten

Sesshomaru hated to admit it, but the old man was fast. Gritting his teeth and getting back onto his feet, he ignored the urge to rub his jaw. 'Dammit Taisho. Would you listen to me for a minute?!' His partner's voice rang sharply in his head and he winced slightly. 'You can't expect to fight this guy like you have been. He's been specially trained.'

'What do you mean?' He found himself asking, still eyeing the wiry man before him.

'I mean he and his psy-link partner went through specialized training to meld their energy together. They act as one, making them faster than an average soldier. Faster than an average Baasratu.' He contemplated what that meant as he rolled his shoulder and neck.

'How do you know this?' He asked after a moment and narrowed his eyes at the resounding silence coming from his partner. Before he could press the issue, Totosai disappeared once again. This time he was ready for it. Using whatever extrasensory he had, he locked onto the man's energy, waiting for the spike that would announce his intent to attack.

Kagome, knowing he was only going off of half formed ideals and instinct, leant that extra push he needed to find Totosai, stretching herself to ready his legs and arms as well. The old man meant business, and if they didn't catch him this time around he could cause some serious damage to her partner.

They didn't have to wait long, as a spike came from just behind them and to the right. Spinning about, Sesshomaru caught Totosai by the leg and brought his own foot up, burying it into the old man's side, kicking him down and into the opposite wall. Not one to be brought down so quickly, Totosai flipped himself, using Momo's energy to cushion his legs, allowing him to rebound off of the wall.

Sesshomaru caught Totosai's fist aimed at his own gut, twisting slightly to backhand him across the face by pulling on the arm he had caught. The old man hit the floor hard and Sesshomaru backed up a step, waiting for his next move.

"Gah, for a sissy boy you sure do have a mean bite, don'tcha?" Totosai mumbled out as he sat up, rubbing his cheek. Sesshomaru was satisfied to see that he had managed to give the old man a split lip.

'Yeah, congratulations on beating up an old man, Taisho. Real classy.' Kagome dryly commented and laughed when Sesshomaru got irritated.

'Hn. For an instructor as annoying as he is, he is deserving of any wound this Sesshomaru inflicts upon his person.' He answered imperiously and Kagome snorted.

Her attention again focused on their opponent when she felt that strange shift in energy she had only ever felt once before. The old man was really serious now.

Wiping at the bit of blood dribbling from his lip, Totosai turned his gaze on the one he now considered his temporary enemy. The muscles he had never allowed to melt into fat tensed in reaction to the anger that now coursed in his veins. The girly looking bastard had managed to land a hit on him. Not only that, but he had managed to draw first blood.

'Now, Totos-'

'No, Momo.' Totosai hissed quietly as he rolled his shoulders back. 'The boy needs to be taught a lesson. He has absolutely no sense of humility.'

'And you're the one to teach him, you batty old bastard?' Momo snorted and rolled her eyes. Men. 'This wasn't your directive. We were only supposed to-'

'Directive has changed. I'm gonna give this pansy a whipping he won't soon forget!'

'You cut me off one more time and I'll be the one to give you a whipping you won't soon forget.' Momo growled even as she resigned herself to the fact that her partner was truly going to try to beat the young Taisho down. And if the energy ratcheting up from the boy was anything to go by, he was looking for a fight too.

Both combatants, keeping their eyes locked on the other slowly began circling the other, waiting for the opportune moment to strike. Narrowing his eyes, more to block the sudden wind than due to any emotion on his part, Totosai leaned low to the ground and rushed to the younger man's legs. Stopping his momentum just before his target, he flipped his body over his head and brought both feet up into Sesshomaru's chest, missing his throat by centimeters.

'Damn, boy's too tall.' He grumbled to himself absently as he followed the staggered captain, punching him soundly in the jaw.

Sesshomaru let out a small grunt as he hit the floor hard, then rolled to his left, avoiding the ex-assassin's foot as it came down. Jumping to his feet, ignoring the loss of vertigo and his partner's worried voice, Sesshomaru immediately launched himself at the older man, tackling him to the floor.

Kagome let out a huff as Taisho continued to ignore anything she said, and if the energy reading coming off of Totosai was anything to go by, he wasn't synced with his partner anymore either. This had, instead, become a silly fist fight, as opposed to the sparring it was supposed to be. Sensing a swift withdrawal of energy from their opponent, Kagome realized what Totosai's partner was doing and nodded to herself. Focusing on her partner, Kagome hauled back all their synced energy and bound it, much as she had that first time they had linked.

At the same time, both men let out grunts of surprise and slumped to the floor, as if their strings had been cut. Momo snickered in surprised delight as she realized the Higurashi girl had caught on to her plan. She really is a talented link, she thought to herself, even as she began to admonish the old man she had known since the both of them had been in their twenties.

'Higurashi.' Sesshomaru seethed quietly as he tried to regain feeling in his limbs, furious that his fight had been cut short.

'Taisho.' Kagome answered back with hostility. 'This is not a bar fight and last I checked, you were not a drunken idiot.' Her tone of voice was low and her words were clipped. 'What in the hell are you doing?'

Sesshomaru paused at her question and allowed his emotions to cool. He had lost his head in a fight for the second time in the last week, only to have his partner stop and put him in his place, though he would never convey this to Higurashi. Closing his eyes and slowly letting out his breath, he allowed his tensed muscles to relax.

'Hn.' He ignored the small giggle she gave his response.

Totosai stopped listening to his nagging partner as she began to argue with him in circles. There was no reasoning with the old gal when she got that way. He looked over at Taisho and smirked slightly when it seemed the boy was also getting an earful from his own partner. Rolling his shoulders back, Totosai got to his feet and watched as Taisho did the same.

"Whelp my boy, I suppose you are suitable to be brought into the assassin class. Though I guess my opinion doesn't seem to matter. The decision was already made, but I figured I might as well test you anyway. Or maybe I'm just too old for this anymore. After all, a long haired sissy is being accepted into our ranks."

Sesshomaru felt his irritation spike once more, especially considering his partner's laugh in his head. 'Oh come on, Taisho. He's obviously doing it on purpose.' Kagome teased as she kept an eye on their opponents' energy. Though he didn't seem to be eager to attack them anymore, he still hadn't officially ended their match either. Sesshomaru was also wary of the other man, and he certainly didn't trust him not to attack out of nowhere.

"Now then. I suppose you'd have questions. Or has your partner been answering them? Considering her training and all."

Sesshomaru stiffened slightly and Kagome held her breath. Dammit, the old man knew her training. 'Higurashi.' He hissed with bare traces of exasperation.

'Well, I was gonna tell you, but then that guy attacked and we were a little busy! Not to mention how… _emotional_ you got!' Kagome defended herself starting to feel indignant about being put on the spot.

"Higurashi hasn't explained anything." Sesshomaru answered shortly, narrowing his eyes as she continued to sputter. "Neither have you. Exactly what is this assassin training?" Though he was asking questions, he sounded more like an inquisitor reaching the end of his rope. He took a step closer, the air about him menacing.

Totosai gulped slightly, realizing for perhaps the first time the boy seemed kind of dangerous. And now that he knew he could catch him before the training… Sinking into his default senile old man shtick, he allowed his face to slacken. "Eh? Who are you? Where am I?" Scratching the back of his head in an almost absentminded manner, he debated over whether he should back away from the homicidal aura coming off of the young captain.

'Best idea you've had yet.' Momo dryly commented as she continued to watch the way Kagome Higurashi's energy interacted with Sesshomaru Taisho's.

'You could help me a little, you know.' Totosai grumped mentally while throwing his hands up in a placating gesture. "Alright, alright! Calm down, siss- uh, young man! We can talk about this!"

'I'm doing my part, and that was to make sure their energies were compatible for the training exercise. Keeping you from getting trounced was not a part of the deal.' Momo replied to his whining and finally completed her assessment to her satisfaction. 'Now call an end to the match so we can all sit and discuss things like adults, hmm?'

'I haven't ended the match yet?' Totosai blinked in a stupor then hurried to rectify his mistake. "Ah! Match over! Let's you and your partner head into the meeting room!" He declared and took off for the door. Ignoring the chuckles from his partner. 'I suppose you really are losing your touch, eh, Totosai?'

'Hush, woman.'

Sesshomaru watched the elderly man rush from the room and allowed himself to ease back his tension. His partner's hands ghosted up his arms, kneading the muscles in his neck. He let out a small groan and the both of them froze.

'Ah, you should probably follow him, huh?' Kagome asked nervously, not quite sure how to read the brief flashes of emotion she was getting from her partner. And that noise he just made! She was ashamed to admit to herself that it would probably wind up in her dreams tonight.

Without further comment or thought from the usually stoic captain, Sesshomaru followed after the ex-assassin to the meeting room set aside for them. Entering the room, he found Totosai already seated at the table. Deciding the fastest way to end his association with the old man was to get the meeting over with, Sesshomaru sat across from him and pinned him with a glare.

"Ah, so…you have been promoted to a special class." Totosai began awkwardly as he tried to figure out the best way to explain things to the angry individual in front of him. 'Like it's not your fault the young man is angry.' Momo snorted and Totosai acted as if he hadn't heard her.

"Just get to the point." Sesshomaru demanded allowing his brows to crease.

"Right, so now you will be taking special missions. As far as I know, you will still be assigned to the ship you are on now, with added irregularities that will be explained later. By someone else!" Totosai added the last bit for his own safety, sensing the animosity rising up again.

"This is not explaining the situation I found myself in a moment ago." Sesshomaru growled out and Totosai straightened, flashing his own irritation.

"Yeah, yeah, I'm getting to that! Keep your shirt on!" He paused for a moment to take in a breath and start over. "So, to officially be in the assassin class, you and your partner need to go through a special training that isn't offered to just anybody. It takes a special kind of link." He eyed the way Sesshomaru stiffened and flashed him a lewd grin. "And I think you get what I mean?"

Sesshomaru let his face go completely blank, eyeing the old pervert closely. Just as he was opening his mouth to refute his claims, the old man continued, holding his head as if in pain.

"Alright already, woman! Stop harping! I was just having some fun!" Still clutching his head Totosai met his eyes. "So what I really mean is the psychic is strong enough to sense and enhance the natural energy of a soldier with enough natural talent in combat to a certain degree that's higher than your average link. If I'm not mistaken, Miss Higurashi has been able to do this for you, am I correct?"

Sesshomaru gave a brief nod.

"Good, though Momo already confirmed what the testing has told the higher ups. That was the real reason for our little spat. To see how your energies influence each other under duress. Though you weren't supposed to be able to actually catch me, let alone hurt me." Totosai pouted slightly, staring down at the table as if it was the reason for him admitting the last part.

"Anyway, you're real training begins once you go through that door over there." Feeling like he had explained things adequately, he stood up from his chair. Sesshomaru stood as well and that menacing aura was filling the room. "A psychic instructor is waiting for you! She'll explain the rest!" He garbled out and fled the room.

Kagome giggled softly as they both watched the man flee. She turned her attention back to her partner and sighed. 'I've only ever been linked to an assassin. I don't know anything else…just that they move differently and think about things differently than an average soldier.' She explained quietly, trying to smooth his ruffled feathers. 'I've never met another psychic that had been linked to an assassin either, so I'm in the dark about this as much as you are.'

'Hn.'

It was all he said, but that was all she needed. She knew she had been forgiven, though she wasn't sure why it should have mattered to her so much. Her thoughts turned inward as she reflected on her feelings, then pushed them aside to think about later. She wasn't sure why, but she felt apprehensive about examining the feelings she had for the snobby jerk she was partnered to.

Turning his gaze to the second door to his left, Sesshomaru hesitated briefly. Deciding that ruminating over what awaited them got him nowhere, he reached the bio-scanner and lifted his hand. The older woman sitting on one of the couches in the next room had him blinking, however.

Holding a small saucer and teacup, the woman glanced up as the door opened and smiled.

"I take it you are finished with the first round of testing?"

Sesshomaru didn't bother to respond, as he thought it was rather self-explanatory. Instead he was distracted by the way Higurashi had reacted at the sight of the woman before them. 'Higurashi?' He questioned her quietly and narrowed his eyes at the wave of emotion he got in response.

'Kitakawa-sensei.'

"A pleasure to make your acquaintance, Captain Taisho. My name is Midoriko Kitakawa. And, of course, it is good to feel your energy again, Kagome." The end of the woman's sentence was warm and her eyes crinkled slightly as she smiled, seeming more to focus on the area around his body than actually looking at him.

'T-tell her it's the same for me.' Kagome stammered quietly and Sesshomaru fought the urge to scowl.

'I am not your mess-'

'Please, Taisho.' Her voice was soft, almost subdued.

"Higurashi conveys her salutations as well." Sesshomaru found himself saying, uncomfortable with the strange emotions he was getting from his partner.

Midoriko smiled slightly and stood from the couch, her hands smoothing down her black pants, absentmindedly. "I imagine she is rather shocked to see me." Her tone was self-depreciating as her eyes slid away and fixed to the floor. After a brief moment, whereas Sesshomaru felt the undeniable urge to fidget at the weird undertones in the room, she seemed to come back to herself and straightened from the slumped posture she had adopted.

"So, I am to be your first instructor for the assassination designation." Her eyes hardened as she spoke and at the end she had assumed a wholly professional demeanor. "There is a lot of ground to cover in a short amount of time. I take it you have already been notified that your crew needs to be back out there by the end of this term?"

At Sesshomaru's terse nod she gave one of her own and indicated to the second couch in front of her. "Then please be seated. We have exactly three days to get you to a rather advanced level, and the work required will be rather taxing."

Taking his seat gracefully, Sesshomaru tried to gage how his partner was reacting to the time frame they had been given. According to the contract that she had signed, the training would go passed her week long sub-in by two days. Her response would clue him in on exactly what he would have to say to change her mind.

Not sensing anything from her other than the stunned shock she had been in since they had set sights on Kitakawa, Sesshomaru felt his jaw clench. Was she not even paying attention? 'Higurashi.'

With a jolt, Kagome focused on her partner and winced at the amount of agitation he was emitting. The shock and, in a small amount, betrayal Kagome had felt at seeing her old sensei finally dissipated. Getting an idea of just how much Taisho wanted to lay into her almost had her wishing for it back. 'Ah. Sorry, Taisho. I…um…'

'We will be training for three days.' Sesshomaru cut her off, impatient to get her reaction to put all of this behind him as quickly as possible. Tensing slightly in anticipation, he was surprised to admit he was disappointed when all she muttered was: 'Oh. Okay.'

His eyes slid shut and he felt a tick in his brow as he waited silently. Was this Kitakawa woman worth all of this emotional upheaval? It took a few seconds before he felt the sudden rise of emotion from his partner, all of them changing too fast for him to get an actual read. Permeating through it all, however, was what could only be described as disquiet. Perhaps…unsettled?

Well, at least she was conflicted. That indicated she hadn't completely chucked the idea of working with him permanently out, right?

'Ah. Right…you're saying this because…right…'

'Higurashi.' Sesshomaru cut himself short so he could reign in what little temper he had left. Pissing her off at this point would only be counter-productive. However, since her brain had seemed to short-circuit, he realized he would have to come out and ask her. 'Are you going to be my partner?'

Midoriko watched silently as the energy fluctuated around the young soldier in front of her. She had been given a report when they had requested her services for the first time in years after she had left the battle field. The premature death of her partner scarring her beyond repair, and sending her back into the botanical field she felt at peace in. She knew that the only reason they had asked for her had been her relationship to Kagome. It was rather funny how predictable the military was when they were pushing for what they wanted.

Deciding to give the two time to discuss what they needed, Midoriko headed over to the tea tray left against the wall, pouring herself another cup.

Kagome held her breath for a moment as his question registered with her. This was it. She couldn't put it off any longer. She realized to anyone else this would have been a no-brainer. But she wasn't anyone else, and this was a very important decision for her. She hadn't realized how liberated she had felt, being allowed to choose her own designation, regardless of where anyone else thought she should have been placed. To be told at the onset that she could do whatever she wanted and it would be acceptable, only for it to be taken away after only two years. As if punishing her and through no fault of her own!

Okay, so it wasn't as extreme as all that, but that wasn't the point. Regardless of the perks they were shoving at her, or the amount of time they would give her to do what she loved, they were still trying to change what she had been allowed to choose for herself. Maybe she was being stupidly stubborn over this matter, but that small feeling of freedom was important to her.

Coming out of her thoughts, still feeling unsure, Kagome chose to examine her partner and his emotions. Taisho was an impossibly proud, and rather big-headed individual. To come out and ask her if she was going to be his partner instead of demanding it… What was he thinking when he asked?

'Do you want _me_ to be your partner? Do you need _me_ , Taisho?'

The question came back at him and Sesshomaru paused. While he felt the fact he had even asked said a lot, it was obvious Higurashi was looking for something more. It was one thing to silently acknowledge the fact that he needed her, but to admit it out loud. That this wasn't a mandate handed down from the higher ups, but her own choice.

'…yes.'

He answered quietly, as if admitting a grave sin. And perhaps to him it was, Kagome conceded. After all, she was sure he felt that acknowledging he needed anyone, let alone a psychic, must galvanize him to the core. Still, he had been, and only ever was, honest. This alone pushed her to make her decision.

'Then, yes. I will remain your partner, Taisho.'

* * *

Miroku smiled charmingly at the girl behind the lobby counter and comfortably rested his arms across the top in front of him. "Good afternoon, Leslie, my dear." His smile widened as she giggled at the light flirting and turned her full attention to him. "Is there a training room open for me tonight?" He made sure his tone was light and breezy, keeping the darker emotions he was battling with under a layer of charm.

"Well, Mick said we were supposed to close down in twenty minutes…but for you I wouldn't mind staying to lock up for another hour." She batted her lashes and twisted her arms in front of her, pushing her breasts up for his notice.

Feeling his smile becoming more of a mocking smirk, Miroku straightened from the counter and strode toward the locker room located farther in back. "Twenty minutes should be fine." He answered back and allowed his expression to darken as he walked through the sliding doors, ignoring the angry pout that crossed her face as he left.

Though it had been a while since he had last gone through his usual physical training, he felt the only way he could work through these emotions was with a good sweat. Twenty minutes wasn't near long enough to accomplish total peace, but he figured it could at least take the edge off as he worked through his thoughts. Changing quickly into his training gear, he strapped the ten pound weights he had brought with him on his wrists and ankles and headed toward the second door in the locker room.

A small hallway branched into four different directions lay before him. The first two halls lead to the weight lifting room and a small pool room. The fourth hall lead to a separate sauna and shower room. The third hall, and the one he wanted, lead to the individualized training rooms. Walking down the short hall and opening a second door, Miroku looked to the eight different doors he now faced. Only two of the rooms were occupied so he strode towards the last door and placed his hand on the scanner. As the door closed behind him he heard the brief click, indicating that no one else could come in while he was using the room without a key.

Striding over to the left wall, Miroku placed his hand on the panel beside a large screen. "Welcome back Mr. Soryu. There is only fifteen minutes left until closing, do you wish to continue?" The automated voice asked and Miroku snorted.

"Yes."

"Our memory banks tell us the last weapon you used was a bo staff. Would you like to use this now?"

"Yes."

There was a sharp chirp and a panel to his right slid open, depositing a gleaming wooden staff. Clenching his jaw, Miroku grabbed the staff and walked toward the center of the room.

The room itself was smaller than a typical training room, but that was to be expected. These rooms weren't to be used for sparring, this was simply for those that would like to perfect their forms or go over new moves. Miroku brought the staff up in front of him and twirled it out and to his right, his mind already distancing itself from the moves that had been ingrained in him since early childhood.

As he predicted, the first thing that came up was Kagome's face. The smile she normally wore and the way her eyes sparkled when she talked about her studies in botany quickly morphed to the way she had looked when they had climbed out of those pods after that mission, clutching her shoulder and gritting her teeth as Wallace helped her to stand. He brought his staff down sharply with both hands.

Logically, he knew that she would face danger and would get hurt once she became a battle-link. Hell, he knew from experience that there was no such thing as a safe mission and psychic burns were par for the course. So, honestly speaking, he was baffled at the gut churning guilt that he was plagued with the moment he had seen her face scrunched in pain. He twisted his body to the left as he brought the staff back up in a mocking block.

Of course, he had felt twinges of guilt all throughout the year and a half he had known the girl. Especially after he had really gotten to know just how pure and good natured she was. While no stranger to sarcasm and a sharp wit, Kagome would never contemplate seriously harming someone else, whether emotionally or physically. It just wasn't in her. His staff whistled through the air as he brought it down, allowing it to smash into the floor.

While he had had misgivings about going to Wallace and suggesting Kagome take over for Hojo, he hadn't allowed it to interfere with the mission he had been entrusted with nearly two years ago. A mission he had been told he was trained to carry out specifically. A mission to find, protect, and guide the one his masters had foreseen as the light of humanity. He clutched his staff in his right as he swung it out, delivering a side strike, before spinning it behind his back and bringing it up in another strike to his left.

He could admit, throughout all of his training, he had thought the old bastards were clearly out of their minds. As an orphan depending on their charity, however, he swallowed back his doubts and smiled and nodded like a good boy. Told that he was being trained in secret and wasn't allowed to tell anyone had nurtured the natural inclination for deceit he had been born with and into, stymying the need to feel guilt or a sense of responsibility for the outcome of his missions. Stretching his right leg out, he spun the staff down, crouching as the momentum from his weapon brought him around and back up into an upward strike.

So, why then, did he feel so…guilty?! It wasn't like he had picked her himself! It was just another mission. Well, _the_ mission. The only reason he could come up with immediately was that he had gotten too close. He had formed an attachment to his mission, to Kagome. In a sense of panic and self-preservation, he had decided right then to distance himself, hoping to save his emotional state from further damage. After all, he was supposed to be objective in all of this mess. His staff came down at the floor, harder than before, smacking the ground with a harsh crack and sending a vibration through his arms and into his chest.

Distancing himself from her had only made the guilt worse. Seeing her hurt and confused expression had made him clench his teeth to mute the feelings twisting in his gut. This had sparked panic as he realized it was already too late. Here, in this room, swinging his staff around in a flurry of motion, he admitted that he had formed an attachment to Kagome Higurashi. He genuinely loved the girl. How could he not? Rolling his shoulders back and twirling the staff in front of him as he straightened from his lunge, he focused his eyes on the wall in front of him.

Kagome Higurashi was the little sister he had never had, and seeing her in pain, knowing it was only going to get worse in the future, hurt. Everything in him rebelled at the thought that this was what was to be for the good of humanity. At the cost of one human life. Kagome's life. Narrowing his eyes and angrily flicking the staff into a side strike, Miroku snorted. Like hell.

Feeling he had gotten the majority of his thoughts in a row, Miroku turned back to the weapons wall, catching movement out of the corner of his eye.

"Twenty minutes is up. We're closing."

Apparently, Leslie was still feeling miffed as she made her announcement and then flounced out of the room. Miroku lifted a brow and shook his head, placing the staff back in place and watching as it disappeared into the wall. The automated voice thanking him and wishing him a good night as he walked from the small space and towards the locker rooms.

Regardless of what was to come in the future, he'd do his damnedest to make sure the both of them made it out of it alive. The memory of an irritated voice had him smiling and amending that declaration. The three of them would come out of this alive. After all, a future without his lovely Sango wasn't a future he wanted.

* * *

Kagome sat down heavily on her bed, drying her freshly washed hair with her towel. It was just past midnight and her momentous training with Taisho had concluded a little over an hour ago. Though not much else had been accomplished after she had agreed to remain as a battle-link, Kitakawa-sensei had ironed out a rather insane training schedule.

Well, insane for Taisho, anyway. Her part in the training would come later and a bit sporadically, depending on how he did in his own trials. She mentally thanked her lucky stars that she had had an interest in linking in school, and shown a proficiency towards it. Thanks to her early training, a lot of her end of the job was already done. She was especially thankful for that training session with the ex-assassin. Though, Kitakawa-sensei had said that her abilities advancement was due, in large part, to her curious and exploratory nature.

Now back in her room, the days' events over, Kagome felt a wave of exhaustion hit her. Throwing the towel across the room, she laid back on her bed, pausing when she felt her body land atop her small screen. Seeing it reminded her of the schedule she would have and the timetable her plant had been given in the chambers.

Muttering a soft curse, Kagome quickly typed a message to Micah, asking her if she could take on overseeing her baby. The instant response to the affirmative had her raising an eyebrow. She hadn't realized the older woman would be awake, let alone responding to messages sent to her work inbox. Shrugging it off, she went to put her screen down, her thumb accidentally brushing over her contact list and dialing a line.

Sitting up swiftly and letting out another curse, Kagome went to end the accidental call, but froze when the sleepy gaze of Sango Taijya, Miroku's partner, filled her screen. Both girls froze, staring into the others face, before Sango's eyes widened and the screen was suddenly filled with fast moving imagery as she sat up in bed.

"Kagome-chan?" Sango's voice was slightly husky, denoting that she had, indeed, been asleep. "Wha- why are you calling at…" She paused, the screen righted itself and Kagome was again looking into Sango's baffled face. "…in the middle of the night?!"

"Ah, sorry, Sango-san. I just got in and accidentally called you." Kagome laughed sheepishly and rubbed the back of her head in an unconscious gesture. "Go back to bed. I can-"

"No! It's ok! I…uh, wanted to talk to you too! I was hoping you would call!"

It was now Kagome's turn to look slightly baffled as she gazed into the flustered face of the other girl. "Oh. Alright. Um…right now?" She questioned hesitantly.

"If you're not doing anything else, that is." Sango winced and tried to get herself together. She needed to calm down or the psychic was going to think she was crazy. "I mean, I really wanted to ask you something." She looked into curious blue eyes.

"Do you know what's wrong with Miroku?"

xXx

Thank you for reading and please review!


	11. Chapter 11

Chapter Eleven

Kagome stormed down the corridor leading to the cafeteria located on the far side of the residential area. Her blue eyes were lit with the fires of determination and her fists were clenched to stave off the urge to hit something. Her mind kept thinking over the late night talk she had had with her newest friend. Her brown eyes had been downcast as she had grudgingly admitted that during training, Miroku had seemed to be ignoring her.

 _"_ _Not that I care a lot about it! I mean, I need him to pay attention during the training! It could affect the reaction time during a combat exercise."_

Kagome had thought that the desperate way Sango had tried to explain herself was rather adorable. However, the subject matter had been anything but cute. Kagome had explained that she had noticed the way Miroku had been acting strange too. Telling the girl about him avoiding her and when they did cross paths he would quickly flee with some excuse or another.

 _"_ _I don't know what's wrong with him, but if it's affecting his link then he needs to get over it."_

Kagome had ended the conversation with that and promised Sango she would get to the bottom of this.

 _"_ _Just leave it to me! I'll sort that pervert out!"_

For some reason, Sango had seemed to droop when Kagome had said this and then had smiled sadly back at the confused psychic.

 _"_ _Yeah. I'll leave it to you, Kagome-chan."_

'I have no idea what would cause Sango to look like that, but I definitely won't allow it to continue. This ends now.' So with this thought in mind Kagome had woken early to match with Miroku's schedule. He should be having breakfast at this time, and unfortunately for Kagome, his residence was located on the opposite side from her own.

Getting dressed and ready to go in record time, she left her rooms and started her trek to the second cafeteria. The many who saw her coming quickly got out of her way, thanking any deity above that they weren't the targets for the anger swirling about the dark haired woman. Her eyes landed on the double sliding doors leading into the packed mess hall and she prayed, for Miroku's sake, that he was in there. If not, and she had to hunt him down in some other corner of the ship, there would be no mercy.

The doors opened and she began a quick scan of every male in the room. The people closest to the doors stared at her openly, startled at the way she had entered, as if on a mission. Her eyes locked onto her target and she narrowed them, setting her jaw and tilting her head down in preparation for the oncoming altercation.

Miroku settled into his seat, still slightly groggy from another night of tossing and turning. Though he had worked out the majority of his internal issues, it wasn't like he had solved the problem itself. Taking a bite of what he supposed was oatmeal, he reached for his mug containing life-giving caffeine. That's when he felt the largest ball of malevolent energy aimed at him since that one time he had hit on a battle-link's wife.

His body instinctively locked up and he found himself staring blankly at his coffee mug, just at the tips of his fingers. They won't notice you if you remain perfectly still, he thought in near hysteria. His ears flinched when he caught the unmistakable stomp of feet coming in his direction. Conversation in the cafeteria was steadily dying down in the wake of whoever it was that had stormed in.

Feeling a familiar spike of energy Miroku felt his eyes close on a silent curse. 'Oh damn, its-'

"Kagome! What a pleasant surprise seeing you so early this lovely morning!"

Miroku winced as his voice came out rather high-pitched but felt it was warranted by the look on his friend's face. Not stopping to respond to his greeting, Kagome marched the rest of the way to his table and slammed her hands down on the surface. Coffee spilled from the mug and his bowl of oatmeal tipped onto its' side, allowing the thick goop to leak onto the tray everything still sat on.

"What the hell is wrong with you?!"

* * *

Keeping a serene continence about her, Midoriko turned to face the one she would be instructing for the day. "Yes, you will need to be submerged in the tank for today's exercise. There are multiple suits within the backroom for you to change into." Her gaze never wavered from Taisho's eyes as he glanced between the tank that held a light pink, almost beige, liquid and the psychic linking pod beside it.

Shifting slightly to make sure she had his attention, she quirked a brow when he met her gaze. "The suit needs to be skin tight, so the only thing you are permitted to wear underneath are the regulation underwear." She was secretly pleased when his eyes narrowed and his weight shifted slightly. While not blushing, as she hoped for, the young man was clearly discomfited.

She waved her hand airily towards the door at the back, in clear indication he was dismissed and caught the glare aimed her way when he begrudgingly headed off to change. Clearly he had issues with authority, or others having authority over him. And while, in the future, that would be perfectly fine, here and now it was not.

The training they were about to commence was rigorous and dangerous on a normal schedule. His was shortened by half and jammed with other things he would also have to focus on. He would need all the luck and guidance he could get. Now if only he would realize that for himself…

Shrugging off her circular thoughts, Midoriko headed over to the pod hooked up to the large tank. She held up her screen to the large screen at the left of the pod and began manually imputing the data she could of the current test subject. Date of birth, name, sex, and ranking. His height, weight, neurological responses and energy pattern would fill in automatically when he entered the tank and they linked up.

Her musings were cut short as the door leading into the private training room opened. Only those with permitted access could enter and she was relieved to see it was the technician she had asked for to oversee the equipment while they were in training.

"Lydia! It's so good to see you again!" Midoriko greeted, smiling softly and hugging the older technician.

"God Lord, ya shoulda seen my reaction when they told me you were gonna be instructing the assassin class again!" Lydia exclaimed, looking over the psychic and seeing many worry lines that hadn't been there the last time they had seen each other.

Midoriko laughed. "Not a whole class. Just one in particular. The last one, hopefully."

Lydia snorted and shook her head. "Pft. Please. This is the military we're talking about. Those fools never let go of a good thing when they find it! Just keep it on a shelf until it's needed again." Both women grinned at the other, remembering the old times in that one statement. Glancing from the other woman's face, Lydia looked to the screen beside the pod and examined the picture of the one that was to go through the training.

"Is that his real coloring?!" She stage-whispered loud enough to echo and Midoriko stifled another giggle as the doors to the changing room opened and out walked a rather perturbed Sesshomaru.

Both women blinked at the sight of the tightly bound muscles walking their way. Blushing slightly, Midoriko coughed and turned back to the screen, verifying the data, needlessly, once again. Lydia cocked her hip and stared unabashedly at the nearly naked captain. The suit was so tight; it might as well have been painted on him. She smirked slightly and whistled lowly. She could practically see the lines from his underwear…

Midoriko bumped the other woman with her hip and gave her a mocking glare. Lydia's smile brightened, as if feigning innocence. "What? I'm married, not _dead_!" She stage-whispered again and Midoriko closed her eyes to hide her own embarrassment.

Picking up the electrodes that she would need to strap to Sesshomaru, Midoriko took a step forward, only for Lydia to snatch them out of her hands and approach the young captain herself.

"Oh no, dear. Please. Allow me." Lydia purred as she sauntered toward the wary soon-to-be assassin. Leaning forward slightly, she allowed her hand to caress his forearm before grasping his wrist and slowly wrapping the electrode strap tightly around the joint. She looked up into his narrowed eyes as she teasingly tugged the sleeve of the suit down to cover the electrode.

Before she could further paw at his person, Sesshomaru raised his opposite wrist for the next electrode, wishing he could do this himself. His weight shifted as far from the older female as he could, without taking a step back. Though he really wanted to back away from her, his pride demanded he stand his ground. Don't show weakness, don't show fear.

Midoriko shook her head at the over-the-top enthusiasm that Lydia was showering onto the unnerved trainee and hid the smile that was steadily stretching across her face. A laugh burst from her mouth before she converted it into a cough as she watched Lydia sexually harass the poor man as she strapped the last electrode to his ankle. She wasn't for sure, but from the way Lydia's arms were positioned, and the way the young man practically hightailed it over to the tank; she was sure Lydia had pinched the captain's butt.

Staring at the smirking technician with raised brows and hoping she wouldn't be pulled into a lawsuit later, Midoriko cleared her throat. She swung her gaze to the silver haired captain.

"There is an oxygen mask already up on the side of the tank. Put that on and test it out before you lower yourself into the tank. We'll begin the exercise once you've given the 'ok'."

Sesshomaru gave a terse nod and stiffly made his way up the small ladder. He stooped slightly as he reached the top, keeping his head from hitting the ceiling. Sitting at the platform built over lip of the tank, he allowed his feet into the strange liquid inside, slightly startled at how cold it felt. He slipped the mask over his face and adjusted the straps around the back of his head so they wouldn't pull at his hair uncomfortably. Taking a few test breaths, he slid into the thick, soup-like liquid and closed his eyes as his head went under.

When his feet touched the bottom of the tank, he opened his eyes and silently marveled over how clearly he could actually see inside the stuff. He looked to the two blurry figures outside the tank and held his thumb up, giving the signal that he was ready.

Midoriko turned to her pod, finishing up with putting on her own electrodes. Her eyes shot to Lydia, who was now looking over the data stored on the large screen between the tank and the pod. "We'll be running programs one through eight today." She said, taking in the raised brows of the technician.

"All…all eight at once? That's…"

"He is to be the partner of Kagome Higurashi." Midoriko cut in and was satisfied when Lydia's mouth snapped shut and all previous teasing humor drained away from her eyes, leaving them serious and focused. "If he cannot handle this level of training, then he is not fit to be her partner."

Lydia bowed her head slightly, acknowledging just how serious the situation actually was.

"Of course, Dr. Kitakawa. The programs will be run as you instruct."

Midoriko gave a short nod back and climbed into her pod, the top coming down and the stasis gel filling quickly. With a last sigh, before the gel came up over her face, Midoriko prayed the boy passed his training. For Kagome's sake.

* * *

The subject on the table was breathing laboriously. Perhaps due to the fact that five, psychic energy infused, bands constricted its body. Naraku thought it was mostly due, in large part, to the rather grievous wound located on the right side of its chest. His eyes swung from the bound Baasratu before him and focused on the _civilian_ researcher in front of him.

The _civilian_ stepped forward, holding a scalpel and slowly edging toward the growling alien. Twisted amusement sparked in Naraku's eyes as he watched the way the man jumped at each noise and thrashing motion the Baasratu made. Lifting his hand slowly, the researched picked up a piece of the strange black…cloth, that covered the Baasratu in an indiscernible pattern. Bringing the scalpel forward, it was clear the civilian wanted to take it as a sample.

The Baasratu let out a high-pitched howl and the researcher jumped, dropping the black strip and tripping backwards away from the now wildly thrashing subject on the table. With a sinister smirk curling along his face, Naraku walked forward and clamped his hands onto the man's shoulders, slowly pushing him forwards.

"What are you waiting for?" His voice oozed out in a pseudo-soothing tone. "Don't you need this sample?" The researcher was now shaking, his eyes taking in the saliva dripping from the large bared teeth of the bound being in front of him.

Naraku forced him forward another step, his inner delight increasing as the man in front of him let out a small whimper of distress. "Perhaps you should get a sample closer to its heart…?" He asked in mock-innocence, his sharp smile belying his words as he directed the shorter man another step towards the snarling mouth. Another sound of distress escaped the man and Naraku tightened his hold on the shaking shoulders.

The loud clearing of a throat behind them had Naraku dropping his hands and the researcher falling over himself to leave the room, dropping the scalpel to the floor. Disappointed that his amusement was over, Naraku lazily looked over his shoulder at the psychic that had entered the room.

Ginta stood against the far wall, gazing back with thinly veiled disgust. "Was that really necessary, Hadani?" He asked shortly, not really needing an answer but knew he'd get one anyway.

"They're just _civilians_. Not important." Naraku answered in a blasé tone, watching from the corner of his eye as his teammate stiffened and glared in his direction. It always made his day to know that the hotheaded psychic was so easily riled over such matters.

"Whatever. We are not getting into this right now." Ginta huffed, heading over to the large screen on the wall, showing different readings and graphs. Naraku washed all emotion from his face as he followed the other psychic to the screen, bringing his own screen up to compare notes.

"How long has the subject been conscious?" Ginta asked shortly, still trying to reign in his temper.

"About fifteen minutes now." Naraku answered, switching through multiple reports.

"And it hasn't been trying to get out of the bindings?" Ginta asked, looking away from the screen to watch as the Baasratu on the table lie docilely in place, only letting out low hissing noises periodically.

"Not like the previous subjects."

"Telepathic communication?"

"Not in the way we perceive telepathy. However, the psychics on watch with the other subjects all reported sensing some sort of energy-like communication between those we had captured."

"So, Kagome-chan was right." Ginta murmured to himself and looked over to Naraku, glaring at the smirk stretching his lips.

"So it's Kagome-chan, now, is it?" Naraku asked teasingly and Ginta snorted, already pulling on a lab coat and a long pair of rubber-like gloves that tied off near his shoulder.

"Not getting into it with you, Hadani." He answered shortly once more and made his way over to the small tray situated beside the bound Baasratu. On the top of the tray were numerous sharp implements, and Ginta went for a long-handled scalpel, glancing in irritation at the one still sitting on the floor.

Ignoring the loud growling and light thrashing of the Baasratu, Ginta lifted up a strip of black and quickly sliced through the material, slightly grossed out at the feel of the pull of the blade. Like slicing through raw chicken. Grasping the cut strip in his hand, he headed over to the far counter that contained all of the specimen jars and tubes.

He was distracted on the way when he felt the black material…twitch. Pausing in his step, he glanced down at the bit in his hand, watching in muted horror as it again twitched almost spasmodically. He brought the strange material closer to his face, the scientist in him trying to figure out what was causing the movement. Severed nerves, perhaps? But then that would mean that the black strips on a Baasratu was more than what they thought it was.

He swiftly pulled his face away and his hand tightened reflexively when the thing began to undulate and flex uncontrollably. Keeping his eyes on the violently moving specimen, he practically ran the rest of the way to the jars and threw it into one of them, slamming and screwing the lid on as the thing continued to wriggle about frantically.

Naraku, observing the psychic's strange behavior from across the room raised an eyebrow and walked sedately over to the counter to peer, in fascination, at the previously thought clothing-like material. It bounced around in the small container furiously, knocking the jar across the countertop. Picking up the heavy instruction manual, for what he didn't know, lying on the corner of the counter and set on top of the jar.

Now that the ruckus made from the frantic…thing had been effectively silenced, Ginta was disconcerted to realize that it was rather too quiet in the small lab. He looked to Naraku to find the other psychic still staring at the black strip as if mesmerized. Feeling the small hairs on the back of his neck standing at attention, Ginta slowly turned around and was met with a rather disconcerting sight.

The Baasratu, bound on the table, was facing in their direction. Lips pulled back menacingly from elongated rows of teeth, silently bared. A long string of saliva hung from the corner of its mouth as it had lifted its head as high as it could without agitating the bands strapped over top its shoulders. Its claws were fully flexed and poised over the side of the table. Its breathing was deep and even, despite the deep gouge still bleeding over the table and onto the floor.

Above all, what really panicked Ginta, was the menacing energy sparking along the bands and causing cracks to appear in the metal reinforcing the thick bands. He let out a shuddered breath and realized his heart was pounding in instinctual fear. Ginta was sure he was facing death in its eye-less face.

Naraku, unwillingly pulled from his fascinated examination of the thing in the jar, was forced to look over at the other psychic when he realized he was standing stock-still in place. Noticing the fast paced heavy breathing and dilated pupils, he swung his gaze to the sight that had paralyzed the other man. The twisted smirk he usually favored slicked across his face and his eyes narrowed in calculation.

"Now isn't that interesting?" He murmured quietly, taking in the way the energy level around the Baasratu was steadily increasing. Turning his gaze to a small biometric scanner and screen located to his left, he calmly walked over. Placing his hand on the scanner while simultaneously entering the four-digit code he had memorized, especially over the last two weeks, he watched in wistful dismay as the current subject was terminated.

The five bands holding the Baasratu to the table glowed softly as they charged with the psychic energy kept within them. In a macabre guillotine effect, five energy blades shot down and through the being's body, severing it into six separate pieces. Ignoring the gore rapidly covering the floor he made his way back over to the specimen jar, disappointed to realize the black strip had stopped thrashing about. Moving the manual and picking up the jar, he shook it slightly and let out a sigh when it knocked about lifelessly.

Well, He consoled himself slightly, at least he had somewhat confirmed that the material was somehow connected to its host…and seemed to die when the main subject died. Taking down his notes on his screen, Naraku bypassed the still frozen form of Ginta and headed for the door leading out of the lab. He was met with three armed guards rushing to get into the lab.

"Hmph. You are two minutes too late to have been able to save anyone in this room, including yourselves. If this had been a true emergency, we would have been fucked." Naraku hissed scathingly by way of greeting as he walked out of the lab, his shoes squelching on the floor and leaving thick orange puddles in his wake. "And get someone to come and clean up this mess."

He headed over to the shower rooms located down the hall from the small cluster of labs, never looking back at the chaos behind him. Nothing back there interested him anymore, anyway.

* * *

Kagome calmly took a sip of the beverage that had been placed before her, savoring the taste of real, non-synthetic, coffee. The smell alone permeated throughout the small and independently owned café, inviting its patrons to breathe deep and relax in the rather comfy chairs scattered throughout. Looking up from the rich brew in her hands, Kagome stared at the man across from her.

After she had stormed into the rather packed cafeteria, throwing her angry words at him; Miroku had tried to placate her long enough to see what a debacle she was making of herself and him. Flushing in embarrassment and freezing at all the stares pointed in their direction, let alone the fact that you could have heard a pin drop within the sudden silence, Miroku had laughed skittishly and shot to his feet. Grabbing the mortified girl by the hand, he had dragged her from the hall and down the corridor, heading towards the lift to the commerce sector.

Which lead them to where they were now. Calmly sitting in the only real café on the whole ship, sipping perfectly brewed tea and coffee, respectively.

Miroku, for his part, stared down into his tea, contemplating life's many intricacies, as one was wont to do in such circumstances. Exactly how was he supposed to navigate through this quagmire, anyway?

"So? What's your excuse?" Kagome asked, taking another sip and watching the nuances on the other psychics face. "What reason do you possibly have for completely avoiding me for the last couple of days?" She kept all emotion out of her tone, reserving judgement and upheaval for after she had finished her coffee.

Miroku gulped quietly and smoothed his sweaty palms down his synthetic-cotton pants. Glancing up with a sheepish expression, he tried to keep things light, considering the heavy atmosphere coming off of Kagome.

"Ah, well…it was a personal reason. Didn't want to get you involved…" He figured being vague would be his best bet in gauging his friend. After all it wasn't a lie.

Kagome felt her brows scrunch and her eyes narrow as she watched the nervous way Miroku seemed to fidget about. His hands came up and clamped around the large tea cup, lifting it for a sip then setting it gently back on its matching saucer, his fingers tracing the vine and leaf design lacing the rim. A flash of insight hit her and her eyes widened incredulously.

"Oh god." She murmured. "You slept with a married woman again, didn't you?!"

Miroku's mind blanked and his hands stilled their fidgeting as the accusation registered with him.

"Miroku!" Kagome hissed out, taking his overwhelmed silence as confirmation. "After the 'Michelle Incident', you swore you would never do anything like this again!"

Her mind went back to a year ago and the ridiculous events that had taken place. "And poor Brian…court marshalled all because you couldn't keep it in-"

"Yes! Kagome! We all remember that travesty!" Miroku hissed out, moving forward with a raised hand, as if to cover her mouth, as he frantically looked about the deserted café. Humor twinkled in Kagome's eyes at remembering the blonde psycho that Miroku had "easily charmed" into bed with him, only for her to think that he was "cheating" on her with Kagome, while she herself was _married_.

It's a good thing Brian had divorced her ass, because she was crazy, Kagome thought with a wistful sigh as she let her memories fade and focused on the issue before her.

Miroku, in the meantime, decided that running with this excuse was probably his best course. "Sorry, Kagome." He let the shame he truly felt shine through his words as he again turned his eyes to his tea.

Kagome studied the slumped shoulders and bent head before her, not ready just yet to forgive him. "You know, being avoided and ignored _hurts_ , Miroku." Her voice was low and her tone somber.

Miroku flinched at the inflection and again felt he had trouble swallowing. Keeping his eyes downcast, he tried to shore up his courage to look her in the eye. "I know. I'm sorry." Taking a deep breath, he looked up. "I swear it won't happen again." His voice was serious with his underlying conviction. No matter what the future held, he swore he would never again attempt to shut the girl out. Even if she learned of his duplicity and turned from him instead.

Letting a small smile curve her lips, Kagome drank down the last bit of coffee, enjoying the sweet rush of sugar that had settled at the bottom. "Good!" She stood from her seat, pulling Miroku up with her as he finished his tea in his relief at being forgiven. "Now come on! Both of us are slotted for instructional training in twenty minutes."

Looping her arm through his, she guided him out of the café and toward the lifts at the far end. Just before they reached the circular platform, a thought struck her and she paused in their forward motion. Looking up into Miroku's questioning face, Kagome allowed her brows to scrunch.

"Ah. Miroku?" She began hesitantly. "It would probably be in your best interest if you didn't tell Sango about your, uh…problem."

Miroku jerked back slightly. He had forgotten that Sango had mentioned that she was in communication with Kagome.

"She was really worried about you, and I don't think you'd survive if she found out the reason you were acting weird was due to girl problems." In fact, she was sure the soldier would fly to their ship and kill him.

Miroku felt the beginnings of a grin stretching his face. "She…was worried about me?" He asked softly and Kagome blinked. The glow forming on her friend's face had her mouth dropping open slightly in shock. The fool wasn't just _attracted_ to his partner; he was in _love_ with her. A devious smirk unconsciously formed on her pretty face as she realized she had the perfect bargaining chip to hold over the pragmatic psychic.

"Sorry, Miroku." Kagome began, her tone lilting. "What is discussed between girls, stays between girls!" Her laughter echoed over his badgering questions as the both of them got on the lift.

* * *

Pain arched through his body once again, and even though he couldn't vocalize it, he screamed long and loud, if only mentally. He felt his limbs twitching to the hellfire snapping over his nerve endings, not entirely sure when one wave began or ended. He was gasping and his heart was fit to burst, but he knew he had to push on. It wouldn't end until he accomplished what he had too.

All throughout his torture, her voice cut in and out in his head. Like a broken transmission. '…fight…going! Don't…p! …you!'

Not his partner's voice, no. Not Higurashi's. His mind stuttered over the woman he was linked to, fighting off the swarm of disjointed thoughts, feelings and malicious energy. Who…why was he doing this? Trying to regulate his breathing and bring some order back into the chaos his mind had been cast in, Sesshomaru clung to the only thought that centered him.

He needed to do this. It was important. To keep Higurashi safe.

As he focused on this line of thinking, he felt the brief waning of energy. Grasping at the control he had over his own energy, that even now lay in tattered and frayed bits, Sesshomaru forced the onslaught of crippling pain back and outwards. The feeling of pushing on elastic, like a balloon ready to burst, registered to his senses and he set his teeth and pushed harder. A strange feeling of relief, like when your ears popped, settled over him just as he felt he had succeeded in driving the energy out and away. The continuous wave of pain abruptly ceased and his body sagged, boneless, in the tank. His breathing was harsh and he was suddenly aware of Kitakawa's presence in his head.

'That was damned close, Taisho.' She murmured, not unkindly, knowing there was no way for her to alleviate the pain the captain was currently in. 'Once you can move, come on up and out of the tank.'

He felt the link close as the older psychic pulled away and suddenly he was left adrift to take stock of his quaking limbs.

The training had started out innocuously enough. Before the actual program had started, Kitakawa had set about explaining what was about to happen and why.

 _'_ _The reason we have a need for a class like the one you are about to join is rather simple; just as we have evolved to find a way to combat our enemy, they in turn have evolved to combat us. There is a kind of Baasratu that can, and do, disrupt the link between a psychic and their soldier counterpart.'_

Sesshomaru had listened intently, confused over why this wasn't taught in basic training. He had never heard of a Baasratu able to disrupt a link between partners. The ramifications behind such a thing…and if it were to happen in the middle of battle! Humanity would be utterly eviscerated.

 _'_ _Naturally, it isn't allowed to be public knowledge. The amount of fear and panic would be…unfathomable. Hope for victory in battle would plummet and we would, again, sink into despair. The good news is, encountering said Baasratu is rare. Their energy signatures vary greatly from a run-of-the-mill foot soldier, so we are able to pick up their location if they get too close to our fleets.'_

Sensing he had stepped into something bigger than just a promotion with extra training, Sesshomaru had found himself clenching his teeth together as Kitakawa had explained.

 _'_ _After repeated encounters with this stronger enemy, a psychic researcher came up with how their abilities influenced our link.'_

 _'_ _How?'_

 _'…_ _they experienced it for themselves. Losing their partner in the battle, but "saved" by their pod.'_

The way Kitakawa had answered kept him from asking after it anymore.

 _'_ _Taking this research and recreating the effect, we began experimenting with ways to combat the energy attack.'_ She had paused here and Sesshomaru had allowed her the chance to order her thoughts. _'_ _Though fighting it off indefinitely is impossible, it is possible to delay the effects until someone fast enough can take the enemy out. The attack itself doesn't target anyone specifically, it affects an area as a whole. We thought, at first, that training a group as a collective to go in teams would be a good idea. We quickly discovered that only certain psychic/soldier links are able to survive the training, let alone a real attack from the enemy itself.'_

Sesshomaru had frowned, thinking on exactly what this was leading to.

 _'_ _Going into enemy territory, surrounded by who knows how many Baasratu is suicide.'_

Kitakawa had conceded to his statement.

 _'_ _Yes. However, it seems the Baasratu suffer negative effects from this attack as well.'_ She paused again, sensing Taisho's impatient curiosity. _'_ _The foot soldiers can't come within thirty feet of the Baasratu's energy attack. While the attack itself stretches out for a good bit, the inner circle is too much for its brethren to withstand.'_

Comprehension dawned.

 _'_ _So your saying, it is the job of the "assassin" to get passed the numerous enemies surrounding the lone attacker, get into that "inner circle" and take it out.'_

 _'_ _And stay alive long enough for the rest of your team to take out the rest.'_

Sesshomaru had contemplated this for a bit, absently noting the way his link to Kitakawa felt…empty.

 _'_ _Why aren't Higurashi and I in this training together?'_ He had questioned, immediately wishing he hadn't.

Kitakawa had sighed. _'_ _This training isn't for Kagome. She will have her hands full dealing with other things. It is_ your _job to fight off the attack and protect your link. It will be_ your _job to protect the attack aimed at your psychic.'_

It was all that was said. The program had started off more irritating than painful, gradually climbing the scale until it had gotten to where he was sure his skin was being peeled from his bones and his mind was being massaged by a cheese grater.

Feeling that he could use his muscles once more, Sesshomaru opened his eyes in the tank and slowly kicked up to the surface. Moving his arms to grab a hold of the rim of the tank was harder than he thought it would be, now that he wasn't being helped along by the thick liquid he had been marinating in. His hands shook, but his arms supported his weight as he dragged himself out and onto the small platform at the top.

He haphazardly removed the oxygen mask, ignoring the pull on his hair from the straps, and felt it clatter to the left of his shoulder.

"How ya doing, big guy?"

The technician's subdued inquiry had him turning his head to see the older women watching him quietly, both wearing varying degrees of concern on their faces. Snorting softly in answer, he turned his face away to again stare at the ceiling.

"Hn."

"Well, despite my thoughts, you've successfully completed today's training." Midoriko admitted, catching and matching the captain's narrow-eyed stare. "But, only just barely." Her lips lifted in a rueful grin. "When you can finally move, go hit the showers, soldier. Your hair looks pink."

She made her way to the shower room herself, ignoring the snarl coming from the young man she had been teasing. It had been a while since she had last felt the stasis gel coating her body, and she could admit she didn't miss it a bit.

xXx

A quick note to those that have asked: Yes of course, Sesshomaru and Kagome are gonna meet face to face! What kind of sess/kag fan would I be if they didn't?! This story isn't a tragedy! However, the plot and concept of the story was planned a while ago and I refuse to rush. Thank you very much for reading and please review!


	12. Chapter 12

Chapter Twelve

As soon as Miroku and herself had entered the battle-link sector, Wallace had come winging out of nowhere, pushing and directing the both of them in different directions with flustered haste.

"Soryu! Your instructor has been patiently waiting for thirty minutes already! Where have you been?! No, don't tell me, I probably don't want to know. Kagome, dear, please get changed in the southern locker rooms today, one of the uniforms in there should fit you. Soryu! Where are you going?! You are in the usual rooms for today!"

After being herded into a locker room she had never been in before, and the doors had been shut, Kagome felt rather disheveled and flummoxed. Scratching the back of her head, she turned to inspect the room she had been shoved into.

It didn't look like the militarized locker rooms she was used to. Instead, the material that made up the room was made to look like wood with a warm finish to it. Beige colors coated the walls, and with dawning comprehension, Kagome had realized that this was a meditation prep room. Along the right wall were low benches, made of the same faux-wood, and pegs holding many towels. On the left were the small cubbies that held the light woolen training sets that she remembered wearing in school.

Walking along and reading the tags for sizes, Kagome found a size slightly bigger than her own and tried it on, satisfied at the relaxed fit and that it wouldn't fall off of her during duress. She had learned, at an early age, that just because it was a meditation room, it didn't mean that things wouldn't get physical. It was best to have full maneuverability, just in case.

She hung up the lab uniform she had hurriedly put on that morning and walked through the far doors leading to a matted rectangular room with the same beige walls. There was no one else in the room, so Kagome figured she had time to wait for either her instructor or Wallace. Sitting in the center of the room with her legs crossed, she immediately started on relaxing her body. Old habits die hard, and she had done the same meditative routine for ten years.

As soon as she had relaxed enough to begin searching for her psychic ability, she heard the doors open. Immediately leaving her inner world, she opened her eyes and turned to see a rather surely old woman scowling at her from the doorway.

"Higurashi?" Her voice cracked like a whip and had Kagome leaping to her feet.

"Ah, yes ma'am!"

"Hmph. Skinny little chicken, aren't you?"

Kagome blinked and was reminded of the spar she had been in with Taisho the other day. Was it customary for the elderly instructors to make cutting remarks these days? Not knowing if she should respond to the rather rude question, she instead studied the old woman standing stooped before her.

Long salt and pepper hair was tied back into a severe looking bun, making the wrinkled face appear intimidating and sour. Gnarled, arthritic hands clasped the top of a crooked cane that was clearly used to help the woman walk. Her clothing was bland in color, but Kagome could tell, by the fabric and design, that they were highly expensive. Finally, Kagome clenched her teeth and met with the dark gray-green gaze that stared back with condemnation.

"Well? Done staring me down, girl?" Her accent made the word girl sound like gehl. Wrinkling her nose slightly at the snooty tone, Kagome placed her hands on her hips.

"Have I done something to offend you in some way?"

The woman snorted, ignoring the question and turned to glance about the room. "Really. They couldn't have this little lesson in a better setting?"

"It's a meditation training room. Not a hotel suite." Kagome snapped waspishly and inwardly cringed. Jeez. She'd spent too much time verbally sparring with Taisho. She opened her mouth to apologize when the woman snorted again.

"Of course it's not. Do you think me too senile to know the difference, girl?"

"Well, you-"

"Enough of this. I tire of your voice already." Kagome left her mouth hanging at the woman's audacity. "My name is Natalia Azarov. I was asked to be your instructor for today."

Struggling to hold her temper back, Kagome took a deep breath and attempted to smile. "I'm-"

"Kagome Higurashi. Yes." Her eyes swept over Kagome's frame. "I know."

Kagome stiffened in affront and her head jerked back slightly, eyeing the woman closely. What was this lady's problem?!

Natalia took a few hobbled steps forward until the both of them were face to face. Her hand reached out and grasped onto Kagome's chin, tilting her face this way and that, before Kagome jerked back out of her hold.

"What are you-!"

"Not much to look at, either. Only thing really noteworthy are your eyes."

Kagome knew she was blushing, but couldn't decide if it was due to anger or embarrassment.

"Tell me, girl. For what reason was I ordered here to train you?" Natalia demanded, straightening from the lean she had been in over Kagome's slightly shorter frame. "Did you seduce some milk-sop from the upper echelon to bully me into being your teacher? Did you think this would allow you to get farther ahead?"

Kagome reeled back, almost snapping her spine at the speed she straightened, to stare in rage at the old woman before her.

"Y-you think…" She was so angry, her words were getting jumbled about in her head and she couldn't seem to make herself say what she wanted. "…seduced! What-!"

Natalia sniffed dismissively and turned from the trembling girl in front of her. It didn't matter to her what the little chit had to say. She wasn't impressed by what she felt from the girl, and truly didn't think she was worth the effort to train personally. However, an order from above was absolute. Regardless of how long she had been retired, and her feelings over the issue, she would have to train her.

"Assume the lotus position and draw out your power, girl. I do not have all day to waste over this futile endeavor."

Instead of following the woman's directive, Kagome turned and paced away. Her hands were clenching and unclenching repeatedly as she tried to work through her anger. Nothing would have satisfied her more than to tell the lady she could shove her lesson down her own throat, but she held back. This lesson was ordered through the Inu no Taisho himself and it probably wasn't in her best interests to leave without starting.

Taking a couple of deep breaths, and ignoring the nagging litany coming from Natalia, Kagome finally lowered herself back onto the mats and again attempted to reach her inner core. Her trembling muscles slowly loosened and her breathing became even and deep. As she sank deeper into herself, she let go of the last of her agitation and embraced the welcoming warmth of her own energy.

Allowing it to gradually spill over the container she imagined it to be held in, she felt it suffuse her limbs with warm light. Taking it under her control, she used it to sense the area about her, giving her information she wouldn't otherwise know.

The first to register in her mind was the residual energy still trapped within the mats she sat on. Apparently, a very conflicted male had been in this room recently to work through his issues with meditation. If the echoes coming from the doorway was any indication, he hadn't achieved what he had set out to do. The second thing to register was the highly irritated form sitting adjacent, watching her intently.

Kagome felt her brow furrow as she cautiously approached the energy surrounding Natalia. She jerked her energy back quickly when it felt as if Natalia had burned her. As if the woman's energy was a writhing wall of acid. Almost like the woman's personality, Kagome grumbled to herself as she eyed her instructor's wavelength.

"Hmph! The audacity, child! To think you yet have the right to approach one such as me!" Natalia's voice lashed out and Kagome clenched her teeth, her energy whipping about in her mounting temper.

"At least you have some _potential_." The old woman huffed, taking her time to examine the way the girl in front of her used her energy. The feel it gave off whispers of promise, but Natalia refused to budge from her first impression just yet. "What is it that holds you back, girl?"

Kagome ignored any implied and outright insults and concentrated on what the woman was asking her. She felt Natalia's energy poking about her own and stopped herself from snapping back at it.

"What are you talking about? There is nothing holding me back." Kagome minced out through gritted teeth as she swatted at the 'tentacles' that Azarov was prodding her with.

Natalia snorted once more and prodded harshly in retaliation. "Of course there is! I wouldn't be here if there wasn't something keeping you from your full potential." She examined the girl's energy thoroughly, catching a slight pinch in the pattern it wove. "I can see clearly that you have somehow crippled yourself. Got some emotional baggage? Did you have an old boyfriend that said the wrong things? Daddy not love you enough? Mother too harsh with you?"

"No! What are you _talking_ about?!" Kagome spat out, her anger once more climbing with each question. "My childhood was fine!"

Natalia's eyebrows lifted slightly as she caught a ripple from the corner of her "eye" and followed it through the girl's energy. Ah. The wrong direction in the questions then.

"I see. Got to feeling too important; high up on your pedestal, is that it?"

The way the girl's energy stilled slightly made Natalia smirk. She was just too good at her job, she mentally sighed, watching the young Higurashi closely.

"I see it now. Praised daily on the amazing things you could do? On how fast you learned new things? Told you were advanced beyond your years, perhaps?" Natalia allowed a pitying smirk to cross her features. "A prodigy?"

Kagome felt her hands clench as the woman went on, Natalia's voice conveying a high level of smugness in its tone.

"So, what of it?" She gritted out, determined to keep her head as level as possible. Though it was true she had been praised all throughout her schooling, she had taken it all in with a grain of salt and continued on. She had always felt that, even though many had told her otherwise, she was rather average. The only thing that set her apart, in her mind, was her desire to follow where her curiosity led. Wherever it would lead, good or bad.

Natalia shifted where she sat, taking in the girl's darkening mood. "And you believed them? Ha!" She allowed her face to break into a sardonic smile, though neither could see it. "Girl, your energy is all twisted up with your own preconceptions! There is no way you'll be able to get any further than this with how you are right now. You can't even see the problem in your energy, can you? A prodigy, my ass! Mark my words, girl. You're going to get your partner killed with how you are right now."

Kagome, though feeling insulted, turned her attention to her own energy once more, but couldn't see what the woman was talking about. Doubting the reliability of the instructor, Kagome opened her eyes and pinned the old woman with a hard stare.

"You're wrong."

Natalia opened her own eyes and stared back into the swirling blues across the room. Neither said anything for a while, and Kagome was the one to look away first.

"Clearly this is a waste of time for the both of us." She said quietly and stood from her spot on the mat. As she headed towards the locker room, she heard Natalia stand as well.

"You just wait and see, girl. Your negligence will cost you."

Though inwardly scoffing at her words, Kagome couldn't help but feel a small sense of impending doom deep down. Shaking it off, Kagome changed out of her training gear and headed for the doors leading out into the connecting hall. The training session was supposed to have been two hours. Looking to the time projected on the wall, Kagome noted they had only used an hour of time. That gave her seven hours until her training session with Taisho.

Feeling slightly guilty over leaving a lesson, she decided she would rather take a dressing down for disobedience then spend another moment in that crotchety old woman's presence. Letting out a sigh, Kagome made it over to the lifts, deciding a couple hours in her hothouse was what she definitely needed.

* * *

Hideaki Taisho folded his hands atop the table in front of him, and looked from one projected image to the next of the three other commanders in charge of the cardinal fleets. To his right sat the disgruntled, and ever unsatisfied militaristic commander of the southern fleet; Christian Moreau. To the right of Moreau, and directly across from the Inu no Taisho, sat the elderly civilian commander of the eastern fleet; Mateo Perez. Finally, to the right of Perez, and to the left of Inu no Taisho, sat Kendal Hall; the psychic northern fleet commander, as well as the only female of the four.

"Well, for what reason were we all assembled here today, Taisho? I have a food shortage that needs to be sorted out and this is cutting into my valuable time." Moreau started off, waving his hand over his screen, indicating the important figures he still needed to go over.

"Yes, speaking of, did you receive the supplies we sent your way?" Perez asked in a low voice, his old age softening his tone.

Moreau glanced to the eldest at the table and gave a short nod, his lips thinning somewhat. "Yes. Thank you ever so much." If his tone was snide, no one commented on it.

Perez nodded, a smile stretching his own face and his eyes flashing in satisfaction over the fact that Moreau was galvanized over the situation. Inu no Taisho hid his own amusement and shifted his gaze to the reports still spread over his screen.

"I called this meeting because of some disturbing things we have recently discovered within the western quadrant."

Hall glanced down at the reports appearing on her screen and scanned them quickly, her brows lowering at the information she was processing. "This is the hidden meteor base fiasco from a few days previous, is it not?" She asked looking up and over at Inu no Taisho. "Isn't the council looking into this?"

"Yes. If the council is looking into this matter, why bring it up now in an emergency meeting?" Moreau asked, his tone still snide.

Perez kept quiet, trusting the Inu no Taisho wouldn't be wasting their time for nothing.

"Yes, the council is looking into the incident, as well as the things found therein. However, I believe there is reason to, not necessarily _doubt_ the council, but to question their motivation for finding answers."

Hall snorted and put her elbows on the table, leaning forward to place her head in her hands. "God, Taisho. Stop making this into a poetry contest and just spit it out already. We all already know it's foolish to place our trust in the council completely. Now what exactly are you getting at?"

The others turned their gaze on Inu no Taisho, silently agreeing with the northern commander.

"I have reason to believe that the armband found in the meteor base is linked to the string of… _bad_ _luck_ our assassins have come upon recently. Including the three failed missions that ended in us losing three very well trained assassins and their psychic partners."

Hall was staring at Inu no Taisho through her laced fingers, head still in her hands. Perez was reclined in his seat, thoughtfully staring down at the table and Moreau was sitting with his arms crossed, his eyes narrowed.

"What are you talking about? The council said the armband didn't have anything that could give our positions away stored in it. So what would make you think this was in anyway linked to the assassination failures we've had for the past couple of months?"

Inu no Taisho snorted and turned his gaze to Moreau. "As if you didn't have your own informant in that lab like the rest of us." He caught the dark frown that crossed the other commanders face before he continued. "It wasn't the information stored in the armband. It was the energy surrounding the damn thing."

"What are you talking about?" Hall sat up and brought her screen before her, going over the reports once more. "The lab concluded that it was merely the same Baasratu energy trap they put on everything."

Taisho's eyes gleamed as he silently watched the others read over their own reports. A movement in front of him had him meeting the curious gaze of Perez. "Tell us, then, old dog. What have your spies ascertained?"

"The energy radiating off of the armband was created by human means."

All eyes snapped to the western commander.

"Human means? What the hell does that mean?" Moreau set his elbows on the table before him, his eyebrows scrunched in disbelief.

"It means that someone within the human race is non-verbally communicating with the enemy." Inu no Taisho stated softly and allowed the other three to let that sink in. It had taken him a couple of days to completely take it in himself.

"And what exactly are they trying to communicate?" Perez mused out loud as he rubbed his bearded chin thoughtfully. "You believe this has something to do with the failures in our assassination class?"

Taisho gave a short nod and his lips thinned in seriousness. He swiped his finger over a waiting icon on his screen and waited for the three chimes to signify the report had been sent to the other commanders. "This is a compilation of the things found in certain battlegrounds that coincide with the timings of the attacks perpetrated on our assassins."

"This is a lot to take in on such little proof." Hall murmured as she looked through pictures of the same strange energy fields and the connections they had to certain incidents. "Are you sure you aren't making a stab in the dark and hoping it hits something?"

Moreau, who would usually be the first to scoff at such things, sat back and contemplated the information before him. The fact that he hadn't said anything caught Perez's attention.

"Nothing to add, Moreau?" He asked with narrowed eyes. "Or did you already have the same direction of thought?"

Moreau let out a small sigh and looked over to the older commander. "Nothing solid…however the information I could gather had been leading in the same direction." He scowled darkly down at the table before him. "I lost my best scout ship and two of my assassins to this…bullshit."

Inu no Taisho nodded. "Yes. The loss of two of my own scouts and an assassin prompted a deeper investigation. The question that troubles me, however, is whether or not the council is involved in this." The mood in the room became somber.

"If they are…it's going to be a nightmare tracking down the culprit. Especially if they have their hands in the council directing things. Almost impossible." Hall grumbled as she sat back and rubbed her hands over her face once again. "Why is it that whenever we have these little get-togethers, I wind up with more grey hair then before I entered the conference?"

"That's just because you're showing your age." Moreau sniped and Hall growled back.

"Watch it, kid. You haven't even fully earned your wings. Don't make me cut them off before you learn to fly." Hall hissed back and Perez let out a soft chuckle.

"Ah, speaking of the assassination class." Perez started, glancing over to Inu no Taisho. "I hear congratulations are in order?"

Taisho felt the satisfied grin curling his lips and couldn't stop it. Moreau snorted and Hall shook her head.

"Tch. The only reason you got the Higurashi girl to partner up with your oldest is because of the advanced terraforming technology on Eden. You sneaky bastard you." Moreau sulked as he crossed his arms and sat back in his chair.

Perez chuckled and leaned forward slightly. "Ah, but I hear it's been a chore getting her to sign on permanently. Heard you had to coerce Azarov to give the girl extra lessons."

Hall let out a laugh of her own as she crossed her arms and leaned forward, grinning at the grimace crossing Taisho's face. "Ouch. That's going to cause a headache later."

Moreau grumbled a "serves you right!" as Taisho let out his own sigh. "Yes. However, it was necessary for what we need her to accomplish. When she completes her training, the both of them will be rather formidable." His eyes darkened to a honey color. "If what I think is happening is actually happening, then they will be exactly what we need to fight back."

* * *

Ayame snapped her wrist sharply, sending the whip out with a slight hiss. She scowled darkly when the end wrapped around below the target she had been aiming for. Clicking her tongue, she tugged the weapon loose and recoiled it. Sweat dripped from her neck and down her back, while her hair spiked due to the moisture.

She had been training for nearly two hours with Ginta, and the silence coming from her partner was starting to get on her nerves.

'That's it. What the hell is your problem now, Ginta?!' she snapped and was pleased when she felt the resounding shock coming from her partner. 'Are you still freaking out over the lab thing with Hadani?'

Ginta let out a harsh breath and she felt his energy trace down her shoulders, easing her tension. She hated when he did that. It meant that they would be in for a long talk and she wouldn't like the subject matter.

'No. I'm not still thinking about that horror fest. Thanks for reminding me though!' He grumbled and sank back into his brooding silence for a moment. 'Your grandfather shot me a communications line this morning.'

Any kind of relaxation that had been coursing through Ayame left in a whoosh of breath. Her eyes stared blankly in front of her as she tried to get herself to think past the panic now rushing through her veins. It was too soon for him to be poking into her business again! Unless he was starting to get impatient…

'W-what did he say?'

Ginta allowed his energy to work at the knots in her back as he stalled for time to form the words he wanted.

'You know what he had to say. The same thing he has been hounding you about for years.' He paused as she kept quiet. 'What I don't understand is how I came to be the mediator between the two of you.'

Ayame let out a huff and gently placed her whip on the hook she had gotten it from. 'That's because I stopped accepting his calls, and if you had any sense, you wouldn't accept them either.'

Ginta let out a sound of disbelief. 'Yeah, ok. Just reject a communications line from one of the most prestigious senators from the northern fleet. Not to mention the head politician of the ship the whole of my family lives on! Great plan there, princess. Ya know, if I had any idea that becoming your partner would lead to me being interrogated by a big shot politician every other week, I might have reconsidered taking the job!'

Ayame felt a brief stab of hurt, followed by her own rage. 'So quit then! I never asked for that old fool to interfere in my life, let alone use his connections to stalk my linking partner! If Captain Taisho can go through multiple psychics, I'm sure I'll be able to have a new partner by the end of the day!'

'Oh whatever! As if you could have anyone else besides me anymore! We've come too far together to call it quits now!' Ayame made a noise as if to interrupt what he was saying but he cut her off. 'But you really need to get this whole issue with your pops straightened out. I'm not running interference for you anymore. I have my own problems, Shiro. I don't need to worry about yours too.'

With that decisive statement, Ginta left their link, and Ayame, standing slack-jawed, in front of the locker room doors. The doors sliding open had her blinking up into scarlet eyes. Kagura lifted a brow and cocked her hip at the dazed look on her teammates face.

"What's wrong with you?" She asked and Ayame shook her head.

"Too much to deal with right now." She almost growled as she passed the taller female and hurried to get out of her training gear and into the shower.

 _'_ _I'm not running interference for you anymore.'_ He had said. She let out a harsh sigh and scrubbed at her red locks. Of course he was tired of having to deal with her overbearing grandfather. Hell, she had been too! That was why she had stopped responding to his calls.

She had joined the military and hopped a flight to the western fleet in order to escape his hands, for crying out loud!

Since a young age, not long after her parents had passed on and she had been given into the care of her grandfather, he had been grooming her in order to take after him in politics. Needless to say, she had little interest in politics and even less interest in the social circles the older man had attempted to push her into.

Regardless of her stance on the matter, her grandfather, Senator Kiyosuke Shiro, had pushed her all through her schooling, making sure she was instructed in government and economics, as well as many other subjects to prepare her for entering the "grand game" as he liked to call it. When she had adamantly refused to keep up on her grades in those subjects, he had decided to change his strategy.

When she was fifteen, maybe a day after her actual birthday, he had come forward with a large collection of marriage candidate photos and profiles. The fight that had ensued over the initial broaching of the subject had become legendary on the ship they had currently been living on. The fact that, as a senator, they were required to move every few years hadn't made either of them think about the rumors that would float around after that.

What had been baffling to her had been when a few of the said marriage candidates had begun to approach her. She had quickly learned her grandfather had decided to encourage his protégé's into pursuing her on their own. For a year she had put up with the passive-aggressive attack her grandfather had launched on her.

The straw that broke the proverbial camel's back had been when, on her sixteenth birthday, the old man had thrown an extravagant party in her name. Every. Single. Person. At the party had been a marriage candidate. Including the one person who had, unknowingly, given her an idea on a way out.

She had been ducking behind a pillar, avoiding the crowd of ambitious soon-to-be politicians, when a boy a little older then herself had run smack into her, spilling a rather large plate of food down her dress.

 _"_ _Aw, crap! Sorry!"_

 _Ayame looked down at her dress in shock, watching as, what appeared to be, chocolate cake slowly slid down the middle, leaving a dark brown stain in the pink fabric. Movement in front of her caught her attention and she looked up into a pair of incredibly blue eyes. Still kind of in a daze, she looked over his handsome face, noting the scrunched brows and dark hair falling just above his eyes. Her gaze traveled slowly over his face to his mouth. His moving mouth. With a start she realized he had been talking to her._

 _"_ _-hello!? Jeez, are you a ditz or what? I'm trying to apologize here and you're just gonna stare at me like a creeper?"_

 _"_ _Who's a creeper?!"_

 _Ayame exploded and had a flash of satisfaction when the boy startled and took a step back._

 _"_ _Look what you've done to my dress, you ass!" She angrily pointed down at the cake smear, trying to tell herself it was anger that had her cheeks flushing. "How are you going to fix this? This was a very expensive dress! I demand you take responsibility!"_

 _The boy had been staring at her with a dumbstruck look before he clicked his tongue and roughly grabbed her wrist, dragging her behind him._

 _"_ _Fine! Jeez! Keep your panties on!"_

 _Ayame had stumbled after the boy, rather incredulous over his rough handling and offensive language. No one had ever talked to her, Senator Shiro's granddaughter, like that. Ever._

 _They marched around the perimeter of the dance hall and towards a small door guarded by one of the on-ship militia. The soldier caught her eyes first and lowered his brows, opening his mouth and switching his gaze to the one dragging her around. However, when he saw who it was, his face relaxed and his brow quirked in question instead._

 _"_ _What have you done now, Kouga?"_

 _"_ _Eh, spilled cake on the princess here. Gonna wash it off in the kitchens in back." The one pulling her, Kouga, answered quickly; moving past the guard and into the short hall leading to the kitchen area. Ayame caught the surprised exclamation from the guard at the door and flushed even more so. He apparently knew who she was._

 _'_ _Oh god. Gossip fodder for the soldiers.' She bemoaned silently and nearly ran into her "escort" when he abruptly stopped._

 _"_ _Do you wanna take off your dress?"_

 _"_ _What?!"_

 _Ayame jerked back from the boy and raised a fist. "Pervert!"_

 _Kouga jerked back from her himself and raised his arms in defense._

 _"_ _What? No! Jeez! You wanna clean off the front of your dress right!?"_

 _"_ _So you want me to get undressed?!"_

 _"_ _Well, yeah! Jeez. I have sisters! Nothing I ain't seen before!"_

 _All she could do for a moment was stare in mortified shock._

 _"_ _Oh my God. Just get me a cloth!" Ayame lowered her fist and resigned herself to the fact that the older boy had brain damage of some sort. Or she really wasn't as attractive as she had thought she was because he apparently didn't see her as a female. The last thought kind of hurt._

 _When he had brought over a damp cloth, Ayame had thought he would have headed back out to the party, figuring he had done all he could for the situation. She was surprised when he had crouched down and examined the greasy chocolate mess on her dress._

 _"_ _How do you get this stuff out, anyway?"_

 _Ayame stared down at the look of concerned concentration on his face and couldn't help herself. The laugh bubbled up and spilled over before she could stop it._

 _"_ _I have no idea. No one has ever spilled cake on my satin dress before."_

 _She rubbed at the streak with the damp cloth and both watched in confusion as it only seemed to spread the stain out._

 _"_ _Maybe you gotta rub at it harder?" Kouga suggested as both examined the large dark brown spot. "Wanna try soap?"_

 _"_ _On an expensive dress like this? What if it ruins the fabric?"_

 _"_ _Well, hell. What should we do?"_

 _Ayame let out a breath and set the cloth down. "Screw it. I'll just go home. Didn't want to be here anyway." She mumbled the last part and stepped back as Kouga stood from his crouch. "What are you doing here? You aren't like the other guests at this party."_

 _Kouga looked up from the stain and scratched the back of his head. "Eh. Family obligation. Was supposed to come here to meet some chick my gramps wanted me to marry, but found the buffet table first."_

 _Ayame let the unintended insult slide. "You don't want to marry her?"_

 _"_ _Nah. Gonna join the military. Be of some use, like my dad, ya know?" Ayame felt the kindling's of an idea spark to life._

 _"_ _The military, huh?"_

 _"_ _Yeah…well, um, I'm really sorry about your dress…" Kouga trailed off and looked around as if uncomfortable. Ayame let out a small sigh and shook her head._

 _"_ _Don't worry about it. You should get back to the buffet table. I'm gonna sneak out that back door and head home. No sense in going back out to the dance hall looking like someone couldn't make it to the bathroom in time."_

 _Kouga let out a guffaw and looked down at her dress again. "It really does!"_

 _Idiot. She thought softly and headed for the door. "See ya, Kouga. And thanks." For many reasons._

That night she had waited for her grandfather to come home, withstood his lecture on her leaving her own party without notifying him, and set her plan in motion.

 _"_ _Grandfather. I've found who I want to marry. But he's joining the military and I have to as well to chase after him."_

She had spun on her heel and relished the total silence that had settled after she had dropped the bomb. She had made it to her room and locked her door before the old man had recovered enough to chase after her. Ignoring his rants, she had gotten to work contacting her private tutors and her school instructors over her change in career options.

It had been a rocky couple of years, but she had made it through and achieved what she had set out to do…kind of. She had just used Kouga as an excuse to get her grandfather off of her back and add some legitimacy to her plan. She had never imagined that she would run into the boy, now a man, again. Strange how things worked out.

Stepping out of her shower and heading for the changing room, she steeled herself for the talk with an old man she hadn't spoken to in three years. Ginta was right, this couldn't continue the way it was. It was time to set her grandfather straight.

* * *

Kagome stuck her electrodes on and slid into her pod's seat. She still had a few moments before she was scheduled to link, but the sense of impending doom that had been building inside her all day had her nervous. Natalia's words rang in her head like a death knell. Clearly the old woman had disliked her from the onset, so it was easy to see the woman had been wrong in her assessment. After all, she had been examined by multiple instructors before that woman and not a single one of them had mentioned her being "crippled".

What the hell did that mean, anyway? Kagome felt another spark of irritation as she thought about earlier that morning. Regardless of what one bitter old woman said, they'd be just fine. She concluded in her head as her pod's top dropped into place and the stasis gel flowed in.

xXx

So, I usually keep my a/n short and sweet, mainly due to the fact that I don't want to get in trouble. However, I would like to answer a few reviews that I haven't been able to pm back due to various reasons. (Not signed in, pm is disabled, no free time on my part…that last one is probably my major issue.)

To **_Artemis Black_** from : Honestly speaking, the sci-fi part of my story was two years in the making, influenced by a wide variety of different space and paranormal books and movies out there. There isn't any one specific book or movie that has directly influenced my imagination.

I started writing this fanfiction to hammer out all the dents in the world that I have imagined, in the hopes that I could find all the faults before I attempt to get myself published. I've never been good at planning ahead, and knowing this, I decided the best way to flesh out my world was to write a story about it.

To **_Imani Joain_** from dokuga: I can't tell you how many times I've read and re-read your review! I am extremely humbled by your words and I don't think I could adequately describe how much they mean to me. Thank you very much! Regardless of how it may seem, I have written and rewritten many of my chapters due to the struggle it is to keep the characters in line with what I want them to do. Chapter Ten alone went through multiple rewrites, at one point I had to erase ten pages because I wasn't satisfied with the way that I portrayed Totosai and Sesshomaru.

Getting the feedback I have, from the few reviewers I have, makes it seem like it is all worth it, so thank you again!

To **_Noelani_** from dokuga: Aw, thank you! To have the ability to draw you in, even at work, is high praise indeed! I thank you for your kind words, and I hope I have continued to meet your expectations, and continue to do so. Though I don't think I'm at New York Times bestseller level just yet, your words give me hope that I can one day achieve that. Thank you very much for your encouragement!

To **_Guest_** from : Ah to be more specific, the guest that reviewed every chapter as you read them. Thank you so much! I was having a bad morning that day and it really made me laugh to suddenly get ten consecutive reviews from each chapter. I had actually been contemplating taking my story off of because I hadn't been getting the responses I need, so thank you very much for changing my mind! Really wanted to let you know that!

To the many others that I have not yet responded to, I'm trying to get myself together to answer all of you! I do want to let you know, especially those that have enjoyed Her Voice (even though they don't like sci-fi!) that I appreciate all of you for reviewing, thank you very much!

I lack a lot of confidence in myself and I critique my writing severely, so when I get positive reviews, I feel that it's all worth the effort I put in. Thank you very much for reading and please leave a review!


	13. Chapter 13

Chapter Thirteen

Inu no Taisho finished writing up his last report and with a swipe had it sent off to his second in command. Hesitating, briefly, before his screen, he made a quick decision and brought up the energy readings the spy he had placed within the council's lab had provided him. He sat back in his chair and absently ran his hand over the lower half of his face.

Though his spy had confirmed that the energy was human in origin, made to look and feel like Baasratu, the council had immediately ruled it to be a Baasratu trap. The contents of the armband had been rudimentary instructions and a simple map of a ship the soldier had infiltrated with his comrades. This had been a mission nearly two weeks before they had discovered the meteor base and sent Sesshomaru's team in for clean-up.

This had made him ponder many questions that kept him in his office late at night and had Izayoi worrying about him. It wasn't common knowledge that the Baasratu didn't communicate verbally, though they were capable of forming speech. Instead, it seemed they sent a form of communication through the energy they so readily manipulated to each other.

Deciphering what they were "saying" was in the developmental stages, as it was still a fairly new concept. Even accepting the fact that the Baasratu preferred to "talk" to each other through energy had been hard for many of the scientists specializing in alien technology and biology to wrap their heads around.

The report Sesshomaru's crew had collectively supplied had reinforced the idea that, though the Baasratu could, and have, verbally communicated, they had developed a way to send their thoughts on indecipherable energy waves. And as many of the scientists studying this had deduced, it wasn't like human telepathy at all.

What had Inu no Taisho so worried was the fact that one of their own, a member of the human race, was sending messages to the Baasratu in this indecipherable form of communication. Who was responsible for this? How were they creating this energy? What, exactly, did they communicate to the Baasratu?

How long had this been going on?

All of his questions had him digging into old reports and suspicious activity that had previously gone unnoticed. What he had found had prompted him to call the emergency meeting between the fleet commanders. Though it was probably foolish, his instincts told him the three of them could be trusted with the information, and he always followed his instincts.

A communications line rang through his screen, breaking him from his thoughts. Looking to the number, a small groan left his lips and a slight pain started in his temple. Knowing it would only be worse if he let the line continue to ring, he swiped his hand over the acceptance icon.

"Hmph! Kept me waiting, Taisho! Where have your manners gone to? I _know_ you have nothing better to do than sit in that big chair of yours and wait for your screen to ring. Or perhaps you were staring at yourself in that mirror in your office again? You great preening fool!"

Placing his head in his hands Inu no Taisho let out another moan. "Lovely to hear from you, Natalia." He said in monotone, hoping it would stop her mid-tirade. It did, for a second.

"That's Ms. Azarov to you, Taisho. Show some respect."

Taisho rolled his eyes behind his cupped hands and prayed this conversation wouldn't last long. He swore this would be the last time he would sit in his office so late, if only to avoid this woman calling him again.

"Is there a point to you using my office line so late, Ms. Azarov?" He cut in coldly, trying to get this over with as soon as possible.

Natalia huffed again and banged her cane on the floor in front of her. "And here I thought you would like to know how that Higurashi brat's lesson went."

Taisho's eyes closed silently. The fact that Natalia's voice was heated and she had referred to Higurashi as a brat did not bode well. He debated on whether he really wanted to know, and while he didn't, he knew he needed too.

"Proceed."

Natalia studied the hard lines on the commander's face and decided that he didn't look in the mood to put up with her sharp tongue at the moment. Her tone lowered and she reported the initial meeting as well as the lead up to the girl storming out of the meditation room.

Taisho rubbed his temples and wished he was at home. "I don't blame the girl for leaving. I'm rather surprised she hadn't physically assaulted you, to be honest."

Natalia clicked her tongue and gazed into the distance. "Probably would have been more productive if she had." She conceded and ignored the surprised glance Taisho shot her. "I'll admit; the girl has something there."

Meeting Taisho's gaze steadily, Natalia drew her shoulders back and allowed a sneer to crawl over her lips. "When she realizes the shit she is in, I'll instruct her when she comes crawling back and begs for my help."

Taisho narrowed his eyes and frowned slightly. While he had mandated that the old crone instruct Higurashi, and he could force her to do it regardless of what she thought about it, he realized she was consenting to instructing the young psychic on her own. Whatever the impression she had had of Higurashi before she had met her, something had changed her outlook slightly. Enough that she was interested in Higurashi.

"As if that was ever in question." Taisho murmured lowly and cut off the line just as the old bird had scowled darkly. "That's it. I'm going home." He declared to no one and got up from his desk. His door swooshed open and his eyes adjusted to the dimmed lighting in the halls. His door closed just as the lights in his office turned off and he began his trek home, wondering if Izayoi had made it home from the boutique yet.

* * *

Feeling the immediate pull to her partner, Kagome wandered down the steadily forming link. Pushing aside the uneasy feeling in her gut, she shifted her energy against Taisho's. Taking in their surroundings as she chirped a greeting to the stoic captain, Kagome examined the rather large room they were standing in.

Instead of being an empty sparring room, as she had been used to; it felt more like a large maze. Numerous walls and pathways meandered out in all directions and Kagome felt a fission of anticipation settle in her chest.

'Just how large is this room?' She questioned and was startled when she realized she had asked it out loud.

'It goes on for a kilometer.' Taisho answered and Kagome blinked in amazement.

'This is built on a ship?'

'The Ragnarok is a large ship. Created for the express purpose of advanced military protocols and overhaul.'

His answer was so text-book Kagome couldn't help the light snort that escaped. Her attention caught on a well-known energy headed in their direction and looked, along with Taisho, as Kitakawa-sensei approached from the large doors that had opened to let her in.

"Ah, Kagome! Good evening!" Midoriko smiled serenely in Sesshomaru's direction before looking down at her screen for any information she had forgotten. "Are the both of you ready for this simulation? Kagome have you been debriefed on Taisho's training, or should I give you a quick recap?"

'Tell her: No, I was debriefed before I linked up.' Kagome said to Taisho and he let out a small sigh, quickly conveying her words.

"Great. Than we can begin immediately. As you both know, I will be linking to you both through telepathy. It will be slightly uncomfortable, but you'll become accustomed to the feeling rather quickly." She paused and a small blush rose to her cheeks. "Ah, if you, ahem. If you have anything to say to each other…that you wouldn't want me hearing…you know, say it now."

Both partners froze and Kagome felt something like a blaze of heat flare in her cheeks. Too busy with her own embarrassment, Kagome didn't sense the wildly fluctuating emotions coming from Taisho.

"Exactly what are you implying?" Sesshomaru hissed lowly and Midoriko coughed quietly into her hand.

"Nothing…" She trailed off and looked to her right, avoiding the narrowed gaze of the captain before her. When she had been linked to the young man during the first half of the trials, she had caught his disjointed thoughts and the overwhelming protective feeling he had towards a certain psychic. She had made the assumption that there was more between them than there apparently was.

"Anyway, I'm going to go get myself hooked up to the telepathy machine. It will just take a moment. The simulation will start in roughly five minutes, the holo-clock on the wall over there will begin the countdown once we are all properly synced." Midoriko beat a hasty retreat to the observation room.

Lydia looked up from imputing the needed data into the telepathy pod to raise a brow at her slightly flustered cohort. "Bite off more than you could chew?" She asked with a saucy grin, planting her hand on her hip.

Midoriko let out an exasperated sigh and then relented. "Maybe poked at something too soon." She murmured and ignored the curiosity coming from the tech. "Is everything ready?"

"All except you." Lydia sang out as she held up the wires. "Now, would you like me to be gentle?" Her low tone and waggled eyebrows had Midoriko blushing again. "Or rough?"

"Just give me the electrodes, Lydia!"

Kagome, having pushed the awkward feelings behind her, ran her energy along Taisho's, taking in the slight difference. 'You were really strained earlier.' She absently commented as she worked on the stressed muscles in his calves and shoulders. 'Training was hard?'

Sesshomaru debated on what to tell her, if he should say anything at all. 'Different.' He paused. 'It wasn't physical.'

Kagome hummed in answer, expanding herself to again examine the room. 'So this session is supposed to simulate how our more advanced enemy will attack?'

'How much did they tell you?' Sesshomaru asked instead, wondering if Higurashi really understood what their mission would be.

'I was told it would be our job to go in and destroy a Baasratu soldier capable of disrupting our psychic link.' Kagome examined the stone wall of emotion coming from her partner. 'Is there more to it than that?'

Sesshomaru snorted and looked over the lowered labyrinth stretched before them. 'Nothing you need to be concerned over.'

Kagome frowned, feeling as if the captain was keeping something from her. Before she could question him further, the both of them felt a light brush against their minds and allowed the third party to enter. Midoriko had been right, it felt uncomfortable as hell. Sort of like being forced into a bodysuit that was two sizes too small.

'Ah, the pinched feeling will leave as we go through the simulation.' Kitakawa's voice floated to Kagome and she grinned.

'It's good to feel your energy again, Kitakawa-sensei.' Kagome said lightly.

'You as well, Kagome.'

If he could have, Sesshomaru would have rolled his eyes at the over-abundance of warm feelings coming from both females. Thankfully, neither seemed inclined to chattering. Glancing to the timer, he descended into the labyrinth set up for their training session. He heard a light clink behind him and turned to see the stairs leading out disappear behind a trick wall. As the wall lined itself up with the rest of the labyrinth walls, a small flash of light traveled along and down the corridor they now stood in.

'The simulation will begin in three…'

Kagome felt her heartrate pick up speed.

'Two…'

Sesshomaru flexed his hands and bent his knees slightly.

'One…'

And a blaze of color erupted around them. The labyrinth walls went from stark white to the strangely dulled metallic color of a Baasratu ship. The energy in the corridor changed to match and Kagome felt like, just as they were taking in the ship, the ship was taking them in. A shift in energy before them caught Kagome's attention and her mindset flipped.

'Three enemies ahead and closing in fast.' She clipped to Taisho in a professional voice even as she directed her energy to the coiling muscles in his legs.

'Small fry.'

Instinctively, Kagome understood and directed him down a path leading to their left. Their objective wasn't to kill whatever came at them, but to seek out the one that was problematic and take it out so it wouldn't cause harm to their team.

'Two ahead, you won't be able to avoid them.'

Sesshomaru gripped the hilt of his saber and increased his speed. Turning a slight corner, he avoided the first enemy, ducking under and slicing through its side. The second came at him from above. Sliding to his right he missed its claws by a centimeter, ignoring the discomfort its energy inflicted as it passed by. He brought the saber up and through the extended arm, slicing it off. Continuing the arc his arm had started, he felt the blade pass through its neck and dodged around the falling body.

'One coming up behind, take the right hall.'

Kagome kept her senses on alert as she directed Taisho through and around oncoming enemies, avoiding the majority of the hordes. Just as they were rounding a bend in the corridor, a strange pressure pierced her head.

'Wha-what the-?' Her question came out unwittingly. She heard a slight noise come from Taisho before the pressure suddenly vanished.

'What was that?'

'The true beginning of this trial.' Midoriko answered calmly and Kagome startled a bit, having forgotten the instructor was with them. Focusing once again on their surroundings and her partners well-being, Kagome decided to think of the strange feeling later.

Midoriko silently observed the way the two interacted and moved together, envious of the easy way that had seemed to slip into the other. Even when she had a partner of her own, she had never seen such a tightly woven link. However, it looked like it would be a rocky path for the both of them. At least until they got through their training.

Sesshomaru's arrogance had been put in check, at least. When the first wave of the enemy's attack on their link had started, the boy had foolishly thought only of his own tolerance. He had quickly realized his mistake when Kagome had pulled from their bond in pain. What had Midoriko worried was that the issues in Kagome's energy still hadn't been resolved. If they passed this trial, it would be by the skin of their teeth and that wasn't going to be good enough.

Sesshomaru ignored the nagging attack he was currently fending off mentally. His saber once again sliced through an enemy as he slid around a corner, dodging another attack aimed at his head. Halfway down the corridor they were in, the mental attack tripled and he almost crashed into the wall.

'Taisho…?' Kagome asked in slight concern as her partner continued on, but the agitation in his energy said whatever attack he was fending off was getting worse. Just before she could ask if he was alright, his mindset changed and the way his energy flowed flipped. Her eyes widened slightly when she recognized the pattern from long ago.

Keeping her thoughts to herself, she set her teeth and sent even more energy to his limbs, moving the way he wanted her to. His emotions were steadily shutting down and she recognized it as him running more on instinct. His speed increased and soon the enemy was trailing behind. Those in front of them were dwindling as well and Kagome realized they were getting to their goal.

Going to stretch her senses a little farther ahead, to see if she could find what they were after, she was confused when it hurt. Scrunching her brows, she tried again and held in the gasp that almost escaped when her energy snapped back. Panic sparked inside as she realized her energy hadn't done that since she had been eleven years old and learning the basics of her own power.

Taking quick stock of her situation, her heartrate kicked up a notch as she realized maneuvering Taisho's energy was putting a larger strain on her than she had previously thought. Holding her own emotions in check, Kagome looked along her energy patterns to find what was holding her back. Finding nothing she could fix quickly, she instead switched to examining how she was directing Taisho's energy.

Gritting her teeth, she pushed into that painful zone once more. They didn't have the luxury of her changing the way she directed his energy now, she would just have to continue to do things this way, regardless if it felt like she was close to snapping. Her breathing grew heavy as Taisho again pushed himself to move faster.

Midoriko watched in concern, knowing she couldn't offer any kind of support to the struggling psychic. That was what her lesson was supposed to have been used for. Not that she could blame Kagome for the way she had left the meditation room. She well remembered her own lessons with Natalia. However, she would be lying if she said she wasn't disappointed in Kagome for leaving.

That, in a way, was her fault as well. If she hadn't been so complacent in teaching the young woman, maybe things would have been different. While Midoriko had always known the girl's path was leading to this, she had held onto her hope that it wouldn't.

Sesshomaru came around a corner and felt a pulse he recognized as the final level in the training he had gone through earlier. It was there, around that next bend. He would finally have visual confirmation of the enemy they were to face from here on.

Picking up on the intent determination coming from her partner, Kagome concentrated past the haze of pain she was in to "see" what he did. And there it was, sitting complacently in the center of a large round room. There was no doubt it was Baasratu. Same figure, same claws, same eyeless head. However, instead of the customary black "clothing", it wore larger strips of dark gray. The strips were large enough to be considered as swaths of material and hung over the gangly frame like robes.

Sesshomaru narrowed his eyes and kept his speed up, aiming for the motionless figure. Though he had taken in the creature's appearance at first glance, the pain in his head told him he didn't have the time to examine the enemy. Just as he was bringing his saber down in a killing blow, the Baasratu leapt to its feet and spun in place, slashing at him with its claws.

A shock of pain registered from his side and Sesshomaru leapt back to examine the wound bleeding from the enemy's attack. Distantly he registered Higurashi's overlapping curses and apologies, but rage was taking over his mind at an incredible rate. Letting out a low hiss, he crouched low to the ground and launched himself at the enemy. He heard a slight screech as his blade scraped the ground as he moved, but ignored it in favor of getting close to his target.

The Baasratu let out a choking laugh that ended in a hiss as it dodged Sesshomaru's strike only to have an energy infused sheath stab into its other side. Its blood splashed across the floor as it jerked away from the sheath and dodged another slash from the blade.

Unwilling to let the enemy have any time to recover, Sesshomaru followed after, hearing only the blood rushing in his ears and his own heavy breathing. He brought his blade back up aiming for the flashing claws, his eyes narrowed as he realized he wasn't moving as fast as he knew he could. The Baasratu danced out of reach, letting out another of its mocking laughs.

Feeling his patience run out, Sesshomaru gathered everything he could into his legs, knowing the key to victory would be his speed. Lips thinning in determination, he again crouched low, starting the same attack he had used at first. Again the Baasratu dodged his blade and this time remembered the sheath, as he had been betting on.

With a quick flick of his wrist and jerk of his arm, his sword came back down and through the upper left shoulder of the Baasratu. Clenching his jaw, he forced the blade completely through the chest and out the lower right side of the simulated enemy. As the body fell in two separate pieces to the ground, he relished the moment the pain in his head stopped altogether.

As he got ahold of his ragged breathing, there was a sharp chime that sounded through the room. The previously gore splattered room disappeared and the whitewash walls of the labyrinth reappeared. Bright spots of color on the wall and floor caught his attention and he realized with sharp clarity that it was his blood.

He hadn't bled in a simulation since he had been in school.

Brows lowering, he looked down at the crude slash in his side. Idly inspecting the damage, he turned his attention to his still gasping-for-air partner and their link. Though there was a noticeable strain on their link, it wasn't anything that could have caused the problems Higurashi was experiencing.

'Well, I'm going to let med-bay know you're going to need to be patched up.' Midoriko nearly whispered as she hastily left the link, sensing the storm rising between the two.

'Higurashi.'

Kagome had finally regulated her breathing, still feeling like her energy had been stretched and torn. Faint ripples of pain echoed from her side where her partner had been gouged, but it was the silent demand for answers from Taisho that had her heart staggering. Now she knew for sure; Azarov had been right.

'T-taisho…I…'

There was a different kind of fear in her now. What was he going to say when she told him she had stormed out of a lesson because she hadn't wanted to hear what her instructor had said? What was he going to _think_? Especially since it had almost lead to serious consequences? If they had been out in an actual battle, if their enemy had been just a hair faster, she didn't think she would have been able to support Taisho's energy where he needed it.

She hadn't been able to support his energy as it was! The ache in her limbs and the pounding in her head told her she had been mere minutes away from a burnout. If he hadn't ended the fight when he had, she would have wound up in a coma, forever wandering the ether. Even worse, she could have dragged her partner in with her.

Taisho was silent as she sorted her scattering thoughts, a stone wall waiting in the fringes. Taking another shuddering breath, Kagome attempted to explain. He deserved honesty above all else.

'I…I had a lesson today. The instructor was not what I was expecting.'

Sesshomaru allowed his psychic to explain, listening silently and keeping his own emotions from the maelstrom she was giving off. His hand absently clenched onto his bleeding side as he made his way through the labyrinthine walls toward the raised platform leading out of the simulation room.

'…so I left the room. I-I couldn't listen to that woman any longer.'

'You allowed your own emotions to interfere with your training.'

His voice was low and tone void of emotion. Kagome flinched slightly and waited, still not feeling anything from him.

'…yes.'

It was uncomfortably silent between them as he continued his way through the room and finally up onto the platform before the doors. Pausing just as he reached the top step, Sesshomaru realized he was clenching his jaw and hand hard enough to hurt. Letting his breath out slowly in an attempt to relax his muscles, he stared at the doors that were now opening to let a medical officer in.

"We have another training session tomorrow afternoon." He said shortly and pulled the cuff on his ear off, letting the link with his partner go.

And it was the overwhelming tide of bitter disappointment that she felt from him in that last second that had Kagome in tears.

* * *

"Yes, Inu no Taisho. They passed the first simulation." Midoriko calmly answered the imposing man on the other side of the communications link.

"I'm sensing a 'but' in there." Inu no Taisho said with a sardonic twist to his lips. "Couldn't you just sent me the-"

"I'm afraid their training is under strict regulations and thus will not be released to upper management until they have completed the full course." Midoriko leaned forward and set her head into her hand. "This includes megalomaniac fleet commanders. So no, Inu no Taisho. You will not be watching the recordings of their simulations until they have been approved by their trainers as members of the assassination designation."

Hideaki Taisho told himself he wasn't _pouting_.

"Fine!" He sat back and eyed the retired battle-link. "They are doing well?"

"Of course." Midoriko answered without a blink and turned her attention to her personal screen. "I have urgent matters I have to take care of, however. If we are done?"

With another harrumph, the Inu no Taisho closed off the communications line and Midoriko let out a breath she had been holding in. The man was still just as intimidating as they day she had first met him. And almost twice as nosy! Though she couldn't blame him for being antsy. This was his son, after all. His first born son. What father wouldn't worry?

Rubbing her hands over her face, Midoriko brought her screen up and stared at the numbers she had recently obtained. With reaffirmed resolve, she swiped the numbers to the left and watched as they flashed over the larger screen she used for important calls. The waiting icon flashed for a bit as she waited for the line to connect.

Colors blurred and a picture formed just as she was thinking they wouldn't pick up. Looking into tear-drenched blue eyes, Midoriko let her shoulders droop.

"Hey, Kagome."

Kagome's lips twisted and her hand came up to cover her eyes.

"Sensei."

Midoriko watched as the young woman she had known from birth struggled to contain her emotions. Her hands trembled and her breath was ragged, but there were no tears as of yet. Perhaps she had already cried them out?

"Taisho only required light medical attention. He was sent back to the barracks as soon as he was wrapped up. He'll be completely healed come morning."

Kagome tensed on hearing of the captain and her own hand came down to her unblemished side. Upon exiting her pod, she had noticed there was absolutely no pain and had been shocked to discover she wasn't hurt. Wallace had softly explained that psychics didn't receive injury during simulations or training. Baasratu energy couldn't be fully imitated after all.

This had made it worse, and Kagome had broken down in the shower, letting all of her emotions wash down the drain with her tears and the stasis gel. Or she thought she had. The tears welling up in her eyes now told her differently.

"Oh. That's…that's good."

Her less than enthusiastic response had Midoriko letting out a harsh sigh.

"Higurashi. What are you doing?"

Kagome's head snapped up at the tone of voice she remembered from her training in the botanical lab when she was a teenager. The lowered brows and stoic eyes of her old instructor brought a wave of nostalgia. As well as the panic of answering before the woman became impatient.

"Uh-"

"You're wallowing in self-pity." Midoriko answered the both of them and Kagome cringed at the truth. "Is this how you want to continue? Is _this_ how you want to _be_?"

"Of course not! I-"

"Want to play the wounded party and sulk in your room."

Kagome's eyes lit with indignation as she met her old instructors gaze dead on. Midoriko allowed a small smile to curve her lips at the look.

"That's better." Crossing her arms on the top of the desk the screen rested on, Midoriko leaned forward. "You'll need that fire if you're going to get through the rest of your training."

Kagome blinked and felt her tensed muscles relax slightly. Midoriko typed a number into her screen and sent it to the one she was linked with. "This is Azarov's number. You know what you have to do, Kagome."

Kagome frowned and gave a sharp nod. Her eyes slid to the side and she clutched her personal screen a bit tighter. "What if Taisho…what if he doesn't want to be partners anymore?" Kagome asked, voicing her deepest fear. Midoriko snorted.

"He told you himself, didn't he? Your next simulation is scheduled for tomorrow evening."

Kagome started to smile then stiffened again. "That was during our link. It was private." Her eyes narrowed. "How did you know?"

Midoriko laughed at the slight flush darkening the young woman's face. "He probably doesn't realize it, but he had spoken those words out loud. As if saying it would make it a fact. Regardless of how he may be disappointed in your lack of progress, it doesn't seem like he'll be giving you up."

Kagome's face burned a darker shade of red and her brows lowered menacingly. "It's not like that!" Midoriko felt a grin stretch her lips. The heavy weight that had been in her chest was easing.

"It's not like what?" She asked innocently, watching as Kagome seemed too flustered to form structured sentences.

"Aw, what are you so embarrassed about?"

"Sensei!"

Her laughter echoed through the communications line even as she closed out of it.

Kagome rubbed at her temples, willing her flush to go away. The numbers still sitting idly on her screen caught her attention and with an air of resignation, she swiped the call button. Her palms started to sweat as the waiting icon flashed and Kagome rubbed them down her sleeping pants. Feeling like an eternity had passed, Kagome started to wonder. What the hell was she going to do if Natalia Azarov didn't answer?

"Who the hell is calling at such an ungodly hour?!"

Kagome nearly jumped out of her skin as the heavily accented bellow rang through her room. Her eyes whipped to her screen and met with the narrowed gaze of one very bedraggled Natalia Azarov.

"Girl, do you have any idea what time it is?!"

Kagome took a deep breath and set her jaw.

"I apologize for this morning and the late call." She paused when she didn't hear any words of censure from the old woman. Looking up to make sure she hadn't disconnected the call, Kagome was met with a rather serious expression on the woman's face. Swallowing he trepidation and misgivings, Kagome set her course.

"Please. Give me a second chance and be my instructor."

* * *

Inuyasha whistled to himself as he made his way back to the barracks from the cafeteria, his late night snack clutched between his hands. The coils of steam wafting from the small bowl made his mouth water as he caught the scent of the broth in his nose. Really, he couldn't understand why ramen wasn't a staple in everyone's diet.

Entering the small room, he and his teammates had been given upon arriving on Ragnarok, he absently noted he wasn't the only one awake and glanced over as Sesshomaru was taking off his shirt. The sight of white gaze had him stumbling to a halt. A snicker bubbled up from his lips and he paused to openly jeer at the overly proud captain.

"Ha! You got hurt during your training? You? The _mighty_ Sesshomaru?!"

Too busy laughing at his older brother, Inuyasha didn't see the white hand that flashed out and knocked the bowl of ramen from his hands and onto the floor. Laughter stopping in an instant, Inuyasha stared down at the mess of noodles and broth at his feet disbelievingly. His hands clenched into fists as anger boiled up from inside. The amount of begging and pleading he had to go through to get this ramen flashed through his mind as he brought his eyes up to match the equally enraged gaze of his brother's.

"You fucker."

Sesshomaru caught his fist flying at his face and sneered down at the enraged boy. "Training room." Was all he said as he forcefully pushed Inuyasha back and the both of them glared at the other. In sync, they both turned and headed out of the barracks, the rage a living entity writhing between them.

Sango sat up from her bunk as the two left the room and her wide eyes met with Kouga's, who had been reclining against the wall on his own bunk.

"What was that about?" She whispered and Kouga shook his head, staring pensively at the now closed door.

"Dunno."

Sango bit her lip and turned to stare at the closed door as well. "I've never seen Captain Taisho wounded before." Her hands clenched the blanket over her legs. "What the hell kind of training is he doing?"

Kouga's eyes narrowed and his crossed arms tightened.

"Dunno."

Sango glanced to the other captain than quickly looked away. Turning on her side, she decided that it was best not to ask anything else. I suppose we all have our own issues, she murmured to herself as she finally drifted off.

Kouga's eyes remained glued to the door for a long while after until finally giving in to the need for sleep.

xXx

Here's the next chapter, thank you once again to all the people that have shared such kind words in their reviews! I hope you continue to enjoy the story!

Thank you for reading and please review!


	14. Chapter 14

Chapter Fourteen

With a sharp cry, Kimiko sat up in her bed and stared at the wall in front of her. Her breathing was jagged as she was still caught in the fragmented dreams she had been having. Bringing her knees up and hanging her head down over them, she closed her eyes as she tried to recall the images that had sent ice through her veins and chills up her spine.

After a few moments where she couldn't make herself remember what had her so shaken, she let out a huff and got out of her bed. Sweat made her nightclothes cling to her body in an unpleasant way and her hair was in complete disarray. She walked slowly through the dark room to the small bathroom on the far right.

The fact that she couldn't immediately remember why she had been so afraid told her that she was having one of _those_ dreams. While most precogs lost their ability to dream outside of the reflection pods after the age of fifteen, Kimiko had never grown out of it. If she were to be truthful, her best readings came from her lucid dreams at home anyway. The problem she had was it took longer to recall the images to make sense of them than if she had been resting in the pod.

As she started up her shower, a flash of hazel eyes surrounded by thick lashes came to mind, then quickly faded. Her brows furrowed as she took what she could from what she had been shown. Those eyes had held a sinister mischief, so whatever they were a precursor too, it wouldn't be good. The thickness in the lashes denoted the owner was more than likely male.

As the steam from the shower billowed up she narrowed her eyes, trying to bring the picture in her mind some clarity. Was the owner of the eyes young or old? A sharp pain pierced her temple and she let the image drop. One thing you learned through the years; it was better to let the images come when they wanted to. Forcing your gift only caused headaches and misconstrued readings.

Stepping into the hot water, Kimiko wondered why this warning was giving her such a hard time. And what exactly would this mean for her fleet?

* * *

A resounding _whack_ sounded throughout the small room, echoing off of the beige walls.

"Concentrate, girl! What in hell are you doing?!"

Kagome rubbed the back of her head and glared at the old woman scowling down at her. Or more to the point, she glared at the knobby walking stick the old woman was currently using to smack her with.

"I am concentrating! It takes a bit to get to where you're telling me to go! You, impatient old harpy!"

Beyond feeling any kind of guilt over calling an elderly person names, nor thinking it was childish, Kagome had begun to give back as good as she got. Natalia growled down at the younger woman and shook the stick at her face for good measure.

"Then you need to be faster, impertinent little chit!"

Kagome rolled her eyes and attempted to sink into her meditation for the eighth time that morning. Two hours after she had called the old gargoyle, there had been someone pounding on her door. Having just fallen asleep, Kagome had stared in dumbfounded confusion at Natalia Azarov and the imposing man she referred to as her "man-of-service". Whatever that had meant.

Asking what the hell the woman thought she was doing there at two in the morning got her the first whack on the head. As Kagome stood there in shock over being physically abused, Natalia had lifted her nose in the air and proceeded to "inform" her that because of her "tantrum" they were hours behind schedule.

 _"_ _Get your ass in gear, girl! We got things to do if you're going to be of any use."_

So here they were at four in the morning, and the only thing Kagome had really learned in the past couple of hours was: that stick had to be made of some sturdy material. That, and Natalia preferred to quarrel like a child when things weren't going the way she thought they should be. Name calling and intentionally saying things to push her buttons seemed to be her hobby, seeing as that's all the woman really wanted to do.

A change in pressure behind her, and a whistling sound she was growing used to hearing, had Kagome dodging to the left and grabbing the stick before it could make contact with her head.

"Really?! You could cause brain damage with the amount of times you insist on hitting me!"

"Hmph. Not like there is a lot there to damage."

Kagome narrowed her eyes and gave the stick a sharp tug. Natalia, gripping the stick with both hands, glared back down at her. "At least you are starting to learn how to dodge it." She grumbled and Kagome rolled her eyes, letting the stick go.

"Whatever. Look, I don't have the speed to sink into myself the way you want me to yet. I'll probably get faster as I go. So, until then, can you _not_ hit me?"

"No."

Kagome threw her hands in the air in exasperation. It looked like this training was going to be more frustrating than it needed to be.

Natalia stood back as the girl again attempted to call her energy forth. Her lips lifted in a small smile as she noticed the girl was, indeed, calling it forth faster than she had previously. Though she would never tell the girl, she had noticed that Higurashi performed better when under pressure. Holding the threat of pain over her head, literally, seemed to provide the results she was looking for.

The reason she had the girl continuously call up her energy, only to force her to lose it was rather simple. She was making the girl flex the "muscle" that controlled her energy flow. Thinning the wall surrounding her inner light and allowing her to call upon it more easily. When you fought alongside your partner against a stronger enemy, it was necessary to be able to call upon all you had with little resistance.

Sensing the girl's energy peaking, Natalia raised her walking stick and grinned as it came down on the back of her head.

"Again!"

The fact that she enjoyed smacking the girl around, as an added bonus, went unsaid.

* * *

Miroku yawned behind his hand as he made his way to the meditation room. It was just barely 0600, and he figured he could do with a good half hour inner search before breakfast. His link with Sango yesterday had been a little awkward, at first, but the both of them had slipped into their usual roles rather quickly. If he had been a little more lewd than usual, and she had been a little more flustered than usual, then neither of them had brought it up.

It was far simpler to let it go, after all.

He was stopped in his tracks on the way to the small changing room by an overly excited Wallace standing outside the meditation room. Lifting a brow, he sauntered closer to peer over her shoulder through the window looking into the room. He was rather shocked to see Kagome standing in the center of the room holding a crooked stick and shaking it at an old woman who looked ready to launch herself at the younger woman.

"What in the hell?"

Maryann Wallace jumped at the sound of his voice and turned to face the gaping psychic.

"I know right! Who would have thought Kagome could be violent?! Not that I blame her…"

Miroku turned his stunned gaze to Wallace in question.

"The other woman in the room with her has a nasty reputation." Wallace began to explain, turning back to watch as the two psychic's in the room began to circle each other. "They say that if it weren't for the fact that she is the best in her field, she would most likely be locked up for her unorthodox methods."

Miroku finally snapped his mouth closed and frowned. "Unorthodox methods? Best in her field? Exactly what kind of training is Kagome going through?"

Wallace stiffened slightly and kept her eyes trained on the, now motionless, instructor and student. "You know that's classified, Soryu."

Miroku's frown deepened as he watched Kagome toss the stick across the room and settle onto the floor in a practiced motion. The old woman glanced after the stick, frowning, then settled on the floor across from Kagome. Her mouth was moving, probably giving instruction, and her hand was waving between the both of them.

"They've been training in there since two this morning."

Miroku's eyes darted to the back of Wallace's head. "Since two?!"

Wallace nodded and hummed in reply before turning and heading toward the office located in the center of the battle-link training rooms. "Yep. Checked the logs when I got to the office myself." She glanced back when she heard his footsteps following. "Mark my words, Soryu. Higurashi is going to be one hell of a psychic after this training."

Miroku sighed as resignation filled him. "Yeah. I know."

* * *

Kikyo frowned at the amount of damage her partner had sustained _outside_ of their lessons. Numerous bruises, four cracked ribs, busted nose, and the ligaments in his right arm were severely strained. With a sigh she sent what energy she could to help speed up his healing in his muscles, but there was nothing she could do for the bones. As she took care of his physical well-being, she inspected the emotional turmoil he still seemed to be embroiled in.

'What exactly happened?' She asked softly, not understanding the emotions she was getting from the brash young man.

'Keh. Hell if I know! That bastard's crazy.'

'I assume we are talking about Captain Taisho?'

'Who else?! Knocked my freaking ramen on the floor and then beat the hell out of me in the training room!'

'Through no provocation of your own, of course.'

Inuyasha winced at the dry sarcasm coming from his psychic and Kikyo caught the brief flash of guilt.

'Well, I may have laughed at his injury…'

Kikyo blinked at that. 'He was injured? From what?'

Inuyasha shrugged and continued to stretch out his aching limbs, as he had been since their link had initiated a while ago. 'From his training. What the hell is he training for anyway?' He paused as a thought came to him. 'Your cousin is his psychic partner, right? Can't you find out what it is they're doing?'

Kikyo froze at the mention of Kagome. Thinking carefully, she decided on how to answer that. 'Kagome and I are not as close as we once had been. Besides, Captain Taisho is your brother and on the same ship as yourself. Shouldn't you be able to get that information more readily than I?'

Inuyasha snorted and crossed his arms, a slight pout forming on his face. 'Already tried to ask. That's when that icy bastard punch me in the face and broke my nose.'

Kikyo rolled her eyes and let the subject drop. This training session was just for Inuyasha and herself, but later on they were to have another simulation battle with the rest of the team, sans Captain Taisho. 'Are you going to be well enough for the simulation later today?' She asked quietly and allowed a small smile at the scoff that he replied with.

'Of course! Bastard didn't beat me down that badly!'

'Good, maybe we should start-'

Kikyo cut off as the doors to the training room suddenly opened and Kouga strode in with a cocky smirk on his face.

"Yo, mutt! You look like hell! Taisho really kicked your ass last night, huh?"

Inuyasha scowled at the captain and stuck his nose in the air. "At least I have an excuse for how I look, what's yours?"

Kouga's smirk dropped from his face. "Thought we could train together. Training by yourself is boring as hell."

Inuyasha lifted a brow. "Yeah, I feel sorry for Hakaku."

Kikyo sighed as it seemed this would turn into a sparring session as opposed to the training she had wanted to go through with the boy. The plan she had come up with to work out some of his weak areas went right out the window as Wolfe growled out another insult and Inuyasha prepared himself to attack.

'I am not helping you to heal any other injuries you acquire.' She hissed lowly, miffed that her plan was now useless.

Inuyasha grunted in response as he launched himself at his opponent.

* * *

Sango picked at the rice on her plate, not really invested in finishing what she had ordered. Beside her Ayame was steadily making her way through a platter of various barbequed items. Kagura, sitting across from the both of them was sedately sipping her protein shake as she looked through the newest edition of her e-zine.

"Anything exciting happening?" Ayame asked, trying to break the exhausted silence between the three of them.

Kagura glanced up briefly and shook her head. "Nah, same bullshit." She glanced around the empty cafeteria. "It really is eerily quiet since that other team had their ship fixed up."

"Yeah, heard they shipped out sometime last night. Last minute mission or something." Sango murmured and Ayame turned to give her a sly smile.

"Oh yeah…you were pretty cozy with that one guy yesterday." She began and Sango raised an eyebrow at her.

"What are you talking about?"

Kagura looked up from her screen to study the rising blush on Sango's face. "Oh? The tomboy found a boy-toy?"

Sango scowled at the short haired soldier. "Of course not! He said he had seen me training and thought my movements were fluid. He was asking if I had any pointers I could give him."

Ayame tossed her pigtailed hair over her shoulder and let out a loud laugh. "His exact words being, 'If you're not doing anything later, maybe we could get together and…'" She trailed off slightly and leaned in close to Sango, slipping an arm around her shoulders and putting her lips right next to her ear. "'…train.'"

Sango was flaming in .03 seconds, pushing the redhead away from her and clutching her ear. "Ayame! It wasn't like that!"

Kagura, smirk on her face, raised a brow at Ayame and Ayame grinned back.

"Oh yes it was. Poor boy had moon-eyes."

"What the hell is 'moon-eyes'?"

Kagura's laugh cut off Ayame's reply as she watched both girls go back and forth. She would never admit it, but they had really needed this small break. Their new training was starting to wear them all down. Not to mention the secret training Captain Taisho was receiving. Kagura wasn't blind. She was aware of the building jealousy in Wolfe. It was only a matter of time before it reached a head.

This, added to the mounting short tempers and sudden pressure their simulations were giving them, it was nothing short of draining. She had already known that their team didn't work well together. They were better off doing their own thing. Now with this promotion, the lot of them had been forced to stick together, causing anger and tension.

A sudden presence at the side of their table had the two stopping their squabble as all three caught sight of their ship's navigator.

"Hey, Brandon. What's the word?" Kagura asked as she took another sip of her shake. Brandon Alcott gave a small nod and sat down beside her.

"I've been told to tell the lot of you that the modification of the ship will be done early tomorrow morning. Do you know where Wolfe and the Taisho brothers are? I wasn't given a copy of your schedules so I've kinda just been wandering around looking for you."

"Well, that's inefficient."

"They're in the training rooms."

Kagura and Sango answered at the same time and Ayame snorted. "Not Captain Taisho. He wasn't in any of the training rooms or in the barracks. I don't know where else he could be though. It's not like the guy has anything else to do…"

Brandon smiled crookedly and scratched the back of his head. "Well, I'll tell the two in the training rooms. Would one of you mind telling Captain Taisho sometime later? I still have a lot of paper work to fill out."

Kagura propped her elbow on the table and rested her head in her hand. "Yeah, sure. No problem. I'll let him know." She said slowly, eyeing the way the man fidgeted before standing from the table.

"Thanks. See you girl's tomorrow morning."

The three of them watched him rush off and Kagura turned her gaze lazily to the other two. "You think he knows what kinda training Taisho's doing?"

Ayame snorted and picked up a piece of meat covered in honey barbeque sauce. "Not a chance. They didn't tell us, and we're his combat team! Why would they tell our navigator?"

Sango set her fork down and stood from her chair. "Who knows? Best not to think on it, though. We'll start wandering about, looking like Wolfe."

"Picked up on that one too, huh?"

Sango rolled her eyes. "How could anyone miss it. You think he's gonna pop off and start a fight?"

Ayame crossed her arms on the table, staring out the doors to the cafeteria. "Might be better if he did. Especially before we head out into open space again."

Kagura hummed in agreement. "Yeah, that's all we'd need. A testosterone-and-jealousy filled fight between our captains."

At the same time all three let out a sigh.

"Men."

* * *

Sesshomaru levered himself out of the tank and removed the mask from his face. The chittering coming from the tech, Lydia, registered to him from the background, but he ignored it. Glancing to the time projected across the room, he felt satisfaction curl through him. He had gone through the training faster this time around. By nearly two hours.

"Impressive, Taisho. You blew previous records out of the water today." As if in answer to his thoughts, Kitakawa came to stand at the side of the tank, still removing the electrodes. Placing the last one on the tray in Lydia's hands she moved her gaze to the side profile she had of the captain on the platform.

"However, no matter the kind of progress you are making, if your psychic is not up for the strain…" She let her words trail off purposefully, poking at him to understand exactly what he was thinking.

Not taking the bait, Sesshomaru made a noncommittal noise and turned his gaze to the ceiling. Higurashi would overcome her own problems, this he knew. The girl wasn't stupid. When she had confessed her failure, she had already acknowledged her shortcomings. He admitted to himself that he had been disappointed in her; which, for some reason, had surprised him.

Admitting he had been disappointed meant he had higher expectations of Higurashi than he had wanted to. Having high expectations of his partner meant, in a way, that he had come to depend and rely on her. He never relied on anyone. Ever.

Yet there it was, as clear to him as anything. In a little under a week, he had grown to depend on Higurashi. More than Higurashi's failure, this is what bothered him.

Midoriko watched the stoic expression on Taisho's face, slightly irritated that no emotion was shown. Letting out a small breath she turned to see Lydia watching her with a raised eyebrow. She frowned and shrugged her shoulders. Lydia sighed and shook her head. Apparently, they'd talk about it later.

Deciding he had enough of lying there contemplating his own thoughts and emotions when it came to his partner, Sesshomaru rose from the platform and made his way down the ladder.

"We have another simulation training course this evening."

Midoriko snorted, already used to his not-quite-asking tone. "Yes. You already know your schedule." She refused to acknowledge that she sounded a bit petulant.

"Then you'll see for yourself that Higurashi is fully capable of overcoming the 'strain'." He left the room without looking back to see the impact his statement had.

Which was probably for the best, because as the astonishment faded, both women found themselves suppressing blushing grins.

"Aw! It's love!" Lydia squealed and Midoriko shushed her, trying to get the grin off of her face.

"Hush, Lydia! It's still a bit too soon. It might just be respect..."

Lydia waved a hand at the psychic and shook her head at the same time. "Pft! I'm telling you, it's not respect shining in his eyes when he mentions dear Kagome."

Midoriko shot the tech a sardonic look. "For when would you have seen his eyes shining?" She paused as another thought struck her. "And when would he have been discussing Kagome with you?"

Lydia snorted. "Semantics! The point is, I have an eye for this kind of thing and the boy is already in it deep! Don't look at me like that!" Lydia scowled at the pitying look Midoriko was now giving her. "Besides, you already told me the kind of impression you got when you were linked to the both of them!"

"I could have been seeing things that weren't there, Lydia!"

"Please! You aren't one for flights of fancy. Why would you suddenly make up a romance in this critical time?"

Midoriko shrugged. "Relieve the tension?"

Lydia grinned. "My dear, there are much more…pleasing ways to relieve one's tension…" Her grin was borderline creepy and Midoriko flushed a bright red.

"Enough! Creepy old lady!"

Lydia laughed as she turned to clean up her work station and Midoriko stalked off to the showers.

* * *

Kagome ignored the sound her stomach was making as she concentrated on the boundaries of her own energy.

 _"_ _Your problem, girl, is that you yourself don't believe you can improve from where you are. You have grown complacent and comfortable at the limit you have set for yourself."_

Pushing at the wall she had built, in the express purpose of warning her when she was using too much energy, she let out a shaky breath as she felt it move.

 _"_ _You have crippled yourself in the thought that you have reached your limit, when in fact you have neglected parts of your energy."_

 _"_ _But, I felt myself about to burnout!"_

 _"_ _Hmph! What you felt is called an imitation burnout. You have mentally convinced yourself that your current limit is all you have. To a psychic, the mind is near absolute. If you believe you can go no further, your body will act in accordance."_

Sending out small exploratory feelers, Kagome sucked in a breath at the energy at her fingertips. _This_ was all hers? Stomach and hunger pangs forgotten, she took stock of the expansion of her energy field.

 _"_ _Imitation burnout?"_

 _"_ _Yes. When a psychic who has not reached their full potential_ thinks _they have, they convince themselves that they will experience the same conditions as those that go through a real burnout. However false the burnout really is, the end result is the same. In essence, child, a psychic can still enter a coma in an imitation burnout because they_ believe _they have burned out."_

 _Kagome stared at the cross legged old crone in front of her, comprehension growing on her face. Natalia nodded sharply and laced her hands together on top of her woolen leggings._

 _"_ _The problem you have, whelp, is that you_ believe _you can go no higher, when in fact your energy has grown without you."_

Kagome corralled the energy she had not known she had had before, having trouble calling it all to herself. It was like trying to wrangle a pack of wriggly puppies into a small box. Letting out a huff of breath she released the energy again, consoling herself with the knowledge that she had set a new barrier and the energy was within her grasp.

Having complete control over it would require a few more meditative sessions, but now she knew for certain. The old hag had been right, and Kagome was far stronger than she had previously imagined.

Natalia observed her sweating pupil with a proud expression. For a moment, Azarov had contemplated advising the girl to speak to a counselor, but she was relieved the girl had taken her words to heart and attempted the search on her own. Pushing the warm feeling from her chest, and wiping her face clear of any kind emotions, Natalia raised her stick for the final time.

 _Whack_

"Dammit, Azarov! Really?!"

* * *

Miroku stood outside the meditation room, debating whether he really wanted to enter or not. The sounds of feminine screaming had him pausing before placing his hand on the panel. Shifting to the side he peeked into the window to see the old lady waving the stick around and Kagome clutching her head. From the sounds of it, Kagome was doing the screaming.

Clearing his throat nervously, he placed his hand on the panel and the door opened silently.

"-and that's why I'm telling you to get faster, brat!"

Miroku cautiously poked his head in the doorway and silently cursed to himself as he caught the older woman's eye.

"And look here! Your caretaker has come!"

Kagome swung around, blue orbs blazing. Miroku blinked in confusion, but swallowed in fear at the look on the psychic's face.

Kagome's shoulders dropped from their defensive position and her expression softened slightly. "Miroku?"

"Ah, just…came to get you for…dinner…?" He said slowly, his eyes swinging to the older woman.

Natalia Azarov arched her brows and tilted her head so she was looking down her nose at him. "Hmph. It's about time someone came to take this dense creature away! Her stomach has been making enough racket to keep me from thinking!"

"As if you do any thinking, you abusive old biddy!"

Miroku's mouth dropped open at the snarky comment from his usually bubbly friend. Natalia let out another snort and waved her hand imperiously towards the both of them.

"Enough of this. Away with you and your caretaker. May we never meet again, you impetuous rug-rat."

Turing in the doorway, and expecting Kagome to follow, Miroku was surprised when instead Kagome stood still for a moment than turned to face her instructor once more.

Bowing low at the waist, keeping her hands tucked firmly at her sides, Kagome's hair fell forward, obstructing her view momentarily.

"Thank you, Sensei."

Natalia was horrified to feel her eyes burn, so she turned her back on the young woman.

"Yes, yes. Go on now." She paused, swallowing around the sudden thickness in her throat. "Don't forget to train on your own until you have it all under control, you silly thing."

Kagome blinked back her own sudden tears and grinned. "You've beaten it into my head enough today, how could I forget?"

Miroku walked out of the meditation room and waited outside the locker room for Kagome to change. He raised an eyebrow when she came out a few minutes later. "Was I just imagining that, or did you really just thank someone for beating you over the head?"

Kagome blinked and shrugged her shoulders. "Regardless of her violent tendencies, she really was a good teacher."

"Huh. Go figure."

* * *

It was now just after the evening meal, and Kagome had a little under an hour before she had to link with Taisho. While bantering with Miroku, she had suddenly remembered that her plant had been slotted for the deoxygenating chamber just that morning. While she had delegated her baby to Micah, she felt horrible that she had forgotten about the poor thing until just then.

Before she could jump up from the table, Miroku had snagged her arm with a look of long-suffering on his face.

"Kagome. Your…baby…can wait until you have finished eating." He raised a brow when she opened her mouth. "I'm sure it won't mind you taking care of your hunger before you go traipsing off to see how it's doing."

So Kagome had sat back down and rushed through her meal, all while under the disapproving gaze of her fellow psychic. Brandishing her empty bowl with a flourish and a stuffed mouth, Kagome had again leapt to her feet and headed out the doors, depositing her dirty dish in the receptacle before she left.

Turning the last corner before the laboratories wing, Kagome let out a small shriek as she collided with someone else. She registered a similar sound coming from the one she had flown into before the both of them fell to the floor. With an apology already forming on her lips she looked over and realized she had bumped into the very person she had been coming to see.

"Micah! How's my baby?!"

Micah shot the psychic a disbelieving look as she picked herself up off the floor. "Why yes, Kagome. I accept your apology for barreling into me and knocking me to the floor. Of course I'm alright, are you?"

Kagome laughed sheepishly as she got up from the floor as well, handing the harried biologist her screen. "Heh. Yeah, I meant to say all that too. Sorry, I was a little-"

"Obsessed over your freaky fruit plant?"

Kagome scowled and Micah waved her off with a laugh. "Yes, yes. I have the parameters right here. I was going to send them to you when I got a chance to get off my feet. Never expected to be _knocked_ off of them."

"Augh! Micah! I'm sorry!"

Micah snorted as she swiped across her screen and typed in the correct address. "Right. Your plant was put in pod four. Just tell Jess you're going in and he'll unlock the clearance for you." She absently told Kagome as she finished sending the report to her.

Kagome immediately opened the report when it dinged on her screen. Letting out a noncommittal hum, she walked past the biologist and towards the back of the labs. Micah watched her go, shaking her head.

"Thanks, Micah, for taking care of my 'baby'! You're awesome!" Micah muttered as she turned and headed out of the labs. Really, the things she did for such unappreciative people.

Reaching the end of the too short report, Kagome looked up to realize she had reached the specialized zone at the back of the hothouse laboratories. Sure enough, it was Jessup Rodgers behind the counter at the front of the clearance zone.

"Hey, Jess. Mind if I check up on my baby?"

Jess looked up from a report with tired eyes. For some reason, the man in his mid-thirties always looked like the walking dead.

"Yeah. That's cool. Go ahead and put your hand on the panel. I'll give you clearance."

"Thanks, Jess."

Getting passed the two doors and into the specialized wing of the labs, Kagome counted pod rooms until she reached pod four. Though she wasn't allowed in the room, the large observation window let her see the fruit plant up close. Leaning close, she scrutinized the many bulbs along the vine closest to the window. A breath of disappointment left her when she realized they didn't look any closer toward blooming then they had yesterday.

'Well, they did just put her into the pod today. Results aren't likely to appear until a couple of days after being put into the optimal setting.' She told herself as she put her own thoughts into the documentation Micah had typed up.

Just as she was finishing, her screen alarm went off, notifying her she had ten minutes to get her ass suited up for her link. Letting out a low curse, Kagome set her screen in her pocket and high-tailed it out of the labs.

* * *

Once again, Sesshomaru found himself in the labyrinthine room, awaiting his link to his partner. This time, however, he had arrived a half hour early. In time to watch as the walls were shifted to form a different pattern. While he could easily see the walls closest to himself, the one's farther out, where he could not see, shifted more than the one's up front.

"It's to keep the one in the simulation from mapping the walls before they go in." Midoriko answered his silent musings as she came to stand beside him on the platform. "I won't be piggybacking you and Kagome for this simulation. I'll only be monitoring you from the screens in the observation room."

He shot her a glanced and raised his brow slightly.

Midoriko let out a small laugh. "It's how the training usually goes. I am here to ask, however, if you think there is a reason why I should join you on this simulation."

Sesshomaru let out a snort and crossed his arms. He didn't feel like her needling deserved an answer.

"Alright then. Descend the stairs once you link with Higurashi and the simulation will start once the countdown ends." She pointed in the direction of the holo-clock that was currently flashing a ten-second countdown.

Pausing before she entered the doors leading to the observation room she glanced at Taisho's back. "Good luck, Taisho."

The light touch of his psychic interrupted his mental eye-roll.

'Higurashi.' He said simply by way of greeting, getting a feel of her emotions before they entered the labyrinth. He was pleasantly surprised when he felt nothing negative.

'Captain Taisho.' Kagome kept her greeting professional. She needed to get this apology over with as quickly as possible. 'I'm sorry for the incompetency I showed in our last linking.'

'Have you improved?'

Kagome sent the mental equivalent of a sharp smile to him. 'Of course! And I'll only continue to improve!'

Sesshomaru hid his own sharp smile and descended the stairs, already anticipating their simulation to come. 'Hn.'

* * *

Inside the observation room, Lydia let out a squeal, both females having caught the captain's facial expression as he had entered the simulation labyrinth. Turning to the quietly smiling Midoriko, Lydia shook her friend's shoulder in her excitement.

"Did you see that smile!?"

"Yes, Lydia. The both of us are watching the same screen." Midoriko tried to pry Lydia's hands from her arm. "And let go of me! You're going to wrench my arm from its socket!"

"I wonder what he was talking about with Higurashi." Lydia sat back in her seat and started up the countdown sequence for the simulation. "You think he was asking if she was ok? Oh, how romantic that would be!" Stars were shining in her eyes towards the end.

Midoriko snorted and brought the labyrinth door up and locked it into place, her hands flying over the touch screen before her. Looking over to the screen at her right, she selected the correct sequence of numbers for the simulation they were about to run.

"Lydia, would you focus on your end of the technicalities. Please."

It was Lydia's turn to snort as she turned to her own screens and set in the particular parameters they were to run.

"Did we want to increase the difficulty level for this one?"

"Yes. Set difficulty to fifty percent above normal."

Lydia paused and shot a glance to the ex-battle link. "The maximum limit? Are you sure? They had trouble at the lowered difficulty setting yesterday. Shouldn't we set it at zero?"

Midoriko turned a serious look on her long-time friend and technician partner. "Trust me, Lydia. These two can handle it. Especially after the report I got from Azarov."

"Ok. You're the boss." Lydia sighed as she input the settings. A message in red flashed across the screen and Lydia smirked. "See, even the machine thinks it's a bad idea."

Midoriko smirked back and swiped the ok. "You'll see. This time around will be different."

A muted alarm sounded through the room as the countdown began, and both women turned their full attention to the large screen focused on the motionless captain. As the scenery changed, both were slightly startled when Taisho shot off screen for a moment, moving too fast for the camera to keep up with him. Re-focusing quickly, they followed after the linked pair as they expertly dodged and outran each of the enemies projected before them.

"Well, I have to say, he sure is a hell of a lot faster than he was yesterday." Lydia murmured as she flicked through the simulation's settings in the screen to her left.

Midoriko hummed in answer and glanced over to the screen monitoring the link between the captain and his psychic. "Yes, and the link is exceptionally strong." She paused leaning forward to make sure she was seeing things right. "And just look at their rate of synchronicity."

Lydia looked over and let out a low whistle. "Haven't seen a bond that strong in years. They're coming up to the fringes of the wave attack."

Midoriko glanced up at the monitor following after the captain and a smile worked its way across her lips. "Damn boy will surely have a big head after this simulation is over." She murmured and Lydia let out a sharp laugh.

"Yep. But our girl will reel him in."

Midoriko raised a brow at the woman. "Our girl?"

"Of course! Us girls have to stick together, ya know. Besides, with all the bragging you've been doing about your favorite pupil, I feel like I kinda own her too."

Midoriko rolled her eyes and set her mind back to the simulation in front of her. "Kagome isn't a thing to be owned." She paused, a thought occurring to her. "Besides, I think Taisho might object to anyone else claiming her."

Lydia nodded her head and crossed her arms. "Yeah. That man looks like he'd be the possessive type."

A blip from the screen monitoring their link caught Midoriko's attention and she glanced at the main screen. "Looks like while we were talking, he managed to make it into the inner circle of the attack. He's now coming up on the primary target."

"Already!?" Lydia sat forward in her chair, her fingers flying over her touch screen as she noted his progress. "Jeez. He flew through the base in under thirty minutes and double the difficulty. Just what the hell did Azarov do to Higurashi?"

"Unlocked her potential." Midoriko murmured, watching the monitors closely. Lydia shot a quick glance at the ex-battle link and then down at the numbers she was getting from the simulation.

"Crazy."

* * *

Sesshomaru knew it was probably reckless on his part, but the confidence emulating from his partner had him going full speed from the beginning. Indeed, the way Higurashi was directing their energies was different from the way she had before.

Ignoring the feeling of her hands gliding along his shoulders, touching briefly at his neck and then sliding down his arms, he had decided to put his full focus on their objective. Not that he could block it out completely.

'We're approaching the heart of the attack. I can sense the…enemy ahead.'

'You can read that far in front of us.' He not-quite-asked.

Higurashi's soft hum of agreement filled his ears, distracting him a bit.

'Yes, now I can. Though it's harder to grasp onto the energy to do it. I haven't fully mastered that part of myself yet.' She seemed nervous to admit it. 'But that only means that I'll get stronger.'

It was Sesshomaru's turn to hum in agreement as he slid around the last corner and the both of them faced their enemy at last. Not pausing in his forward motion, he raised his saber to bring it down on the back of the enemy's neck.

Before he could make contact, the Baasratu slid gracefully to the side, leaping to its feet as it faced him. Anticipating the movement, Sesshomaru sent his energy again to his legs, using his saber's momentum to spin around and slice through the upper torso of the strange Baasratu.

The simulated enemy once again fell to the ground in two pieces, successfully ending their mission.

'Pft! That was anti-climactic.' Higurashi laughed to him and Sesshomaru smoothly sheathed his weapon, watching as the simulation faded and the labyrinth walls once more appeared.

'Hn.'

Though he'd never show it, and damn sure would never tell her, he was proud of their progress. He turned to the hall leading to the raised platform, looking forward to a shower and then bed. He had been training all day, after all.

Though he wasn't saying anything, Kagome still felt it. That amount of pride wasn't easy to hide, and at this point she figured she knew her partner's emotions well enough to identify what he wouldn't voice. Getting ready to leave their link, she allowed her own warm feelings to reach him before closing off completely.

Pausing as he reached the steps to the platform, Sesshomaru's breath caught on the emotions sent to him from his partner. A small smile formed on his lips before he wiped it off and continued on.

* * *

Kouga looked up from the tiles at his feet. The hot water he had allowed to pour over his back splashed into his eyes as his head interrupted the shower spray. Someone had just entered the shower room, and as far as he was aware, no one else was training this late at night. Except Sesshomaru Taisho.

Following the tail end of his deductions, Taisho came around the low wall surrounding the shower room and started his own shower head.

'Keh. Bastard doesn't even acknowledge the fact that there is someone else in the room. Thinks he's too good now?'

Kouga turned his eyes away from the other captain and glared at the tile wall his hands were braced against. Jealousy and anger causing his thoughts to twist, he made a decision and pushed away from the shower wall.

"Well, I see you aren't hurt this time around. Finally getting better? Or did they decide to lower the difficulty for you?"

Sesshomaru paused in lathering up his soap to turn his head slightly and glare over his shoulder. What the hell was Wolfe's problem? If it weren't for that fact that Sesshomaru knew the two of them were the only ones in there, he would have looked around for his idiot brother.

"Perhaps you should mind your own training, Wolfe." Sesshomaru narrowed his eyes. "I hear your teamwork and leadership skills are rather poor."

Kouga's teeth groaned in protest over the amount of pressure he was now applying to them. His nails cut into his palms as he stared down the liquid amber gaze glaring back. His blood was rushing in his ears and he was having a hard time thinking over the sound.

"What? Jealous that I am now leader of the team?" His tone was snide as he flexed his fingers trying to calm himself down.

Sesshomaru allowed a slight frown as he cocked his head up and to the side. "I was never interested in leading the team." He answered quietly, watching the rage contort the boy's face.

"So what are you saying? That I just got the leftover position that the _great_ Sesshomaru Taisho didn't want?! You think you're better than me just because you were given a _secret_ mission?!"

Clearly, Wolfe was more troubled than Sesshomaru previously thought. Keeping his motions slow and his muscles relaxed, he turned to face the lunatic squarely. Before he could respond to the ridiculous accusations, Kouga went on.

"I bet the only reason why you even got this stupid secret bullshit is because of your partner!"

Sesshomaru's brow furrowed slightly at the mention of Higurashi. Catching the movement, Kouga allowed a vicious smirk to cover his face.

"Yeah, that's right. The lovely Miss Kagome Higurashi."

Sesshomaru clenched his teeth, not liking Kouga saying her name at all. Kouga deliberately relaxed his shoulders and crossed his arms over his chest, bringing one hand up to his chin, as if in deep contemplation.

"You know, I wonder what would happen if I asked for a change in partners and got her instead?" Kouga's smirk grew as he took in Taisho's tensing frame. "I hear she has the loveliest eyes and a beautiful voice. I wonder what her energy feels like?"

Sesshomaru saw red, and suddenly he realized he had slammed Kouga into the shower wall, one hand clenching the other captain's throat, cutting off his air supply. His other hand was drawn back into a fist, waiting for the signal to drive itself into the idiot's face.

Kouga let out a harsh breath as he was slammed into the wall. A squeaky laugh left his abused throat along with his last breath. The icy marble statue was _pissed_.

Bringing his foot up, he planted it in Taisho's lower stomach and pushed hard. The hand at his throat loosened and he dropped down a bit, escaping the hold he had been in. Pushing up with his feet he swung his own fist and clocked Taisho in the cheek, knocking the other man back.

Thrown off slightly by his own momentum and the slick, wet floor, Kouga made a sloppy lunge and the both of them slammed into the tile. Drawing back his fist again, he was interrupted by Taisho's knee knocking into his side and sending them both to the left, reversing their positions.

Sesshomaru let his fist fly into Kouga's face below him. Hitting him once, twice, three times, before outside interference pulled him off of the bloody captain. He fought against the arms holding him back until he realized they were night guards that had been stationed at random intervals. He relaxed slightly as he watched Wolfe get hauled to his feet.

"What in the _hell_ is going on here?!"

Both ignored the authoritative voice asking questions and continued to glare at the other. 'There goes my plan for sleep.' Sesshomaru thought briefly as the both of them were hauled out of the showers and towards the locker room.

xXx

So the chapter is longer than usual. More of an apology from me than anything. Work has been crazy. Thank you to all that have reviewed, I greatly appreciate everything! Thank you for reading and please review!


	15. Chapter 15

Attention! Please read!

So I never post AN before a chapter because I don't like them, however this time it was important I do so. In this chapter there is a seeming discrepancy of ranks. I say seeming because the ranks are exactly what I meant them to be. The way the military hierarchy will work in my created world is different than how it is run in the real world. The actual system will take too long to explain so I opted not to put it in, as it wasn't really relevant to the fanfiction.

However the amount of kind souls reaching out to me through reviews on this has prompted me to write this Authors Note. Yes, a lieutenant is still a lieutenant and a captain is still a captain, but there are different rules in play according to the ship and fleet. Again, too complicated to be relevant at this time, so I ask that you, my lovely readers, take it for what it is. Sorry if you find it irritating or if it detracts from your enjoyment of the story, that wasn't my intent.

Chapter Fifteen

"I've worked on military training ships damn near my whole life. I have seen some of the stupidest shit in my time, and while this doesn't come close to that, I still find myself having to ask: What in the hell were the both of you thinking? You're trained from the beginning that if you got a bone to pick with a teammate, you beat the ever loving hell out of each other on the mats."

The sleep deprived lieutenant growled at the two standing at attention in front of him from behind the desk he was seated at. His eyes moved from one stoic face to the other. While neither showed any signs of breaking their bearing, Lieutenant Hudson couldn't help inspecting the damage on their faces. Judging from the looks of things, the fight clearly fell in favor of Captain Taisho, who only had a bruise creeping over his left cheek.

Captain Wolfe, on the other hand, looked as if he had had a fight with a mallet and lost. Miserably. The scabs forming on Taisho's fist denoted that the young man had, indeed, beat the hell out of the other.

"Deciding to pick a fight, in the public showers, in the middle of the night, _naked as the day you were born_ , is _not_ what I would have considered a good idea."

Both continued to stare directly ahead somewhere over Hudson's shoulders. Scowling down at the report on his screen, he quickly scrolled to the end and rubbed a hand over his forehead. "Seeing as the both of you are scheduled to ship out sometime in the next two days, and you haven't damaged anything other than yourselves, your punishment will be light."

Clasping his hands in front of him and looking from one to the other, Hudson suppressed an amused smirk as he heard a wheezing breath come from Wolfe's broken nose. "Neither of you are permitted to seek accelerated healing for your injuries. The both of you will have to rely on natural healing for those improvements to your faces. The both of you will also be in charge of cleaning the shower room in the morning, am I clear?"

Though both had noticeably stiffened upon hearing their sentencing, they none-the-less snapped to attention and saluted at the end, awaiting their dismissal.

"Go on, get out of here before I add more. The janitor will be waiting for you at 0600 for the clean-up."

Both exited the office, neither acknowledging the other and ignoring the stares they were getting from the night shift posted along the corridors. Entering the barracks near silently, both collapsed onto their bunks, ignoring everything, and in desperate need of sleep.

* * *

"It's rare for _you_ to be the one to call _me_." Inu no Taisho raised a brow, eyeing the Eastern Fleet Commander, Mateo Perez. "Must be pretty important."

Perez let out a light chortle as he reclined in his chair, hands folded comfortably over his large stomach.

"What? I can't call on an old friend?" His voice was low and full of laughter, but his eyes were sharp. Inu no Taisho kept his expression neutral, knowing the best way to deal with the elderly civilian was to wait him out.

Letting a puff of air out, Perez sat forward, shaking his head. "Alright, alright. So there is indeed a reason for me calling you up." He paused and frowned, staring down at his desk. "It has been suggested by the council that I should retire."

Inu no Taisho scowled, his mind reeling at the news. Was it possible that the council had caught on to his suspicions? While it was true that Perez was certainly getting on in years and due to retire; the timely "suggestion" from the council had his battle tempered instincts sitting at attention.

Perez allowed his long-time friend the time he needed to get through his thoughts. He himself was filled with suspicion at the council's "words of advice". He had felt that long time tingle in his joints when he had gotten the sudden call from Jeffery Holton, the face of the council. The man's obnoxious attitude and sarcastic turn of phrase had only made the older commander want to punch the twit.

"What do you make of it?" Taisho finally asked, bringing Perez out of his memories.

"I think it's a load of bullshit." Perez snorted, picking up his mug of coffee and taking a sip, as if to wash away the bad taste in his mouth. "Holton called early this morning, all smiles and false sincerity."

"Hmph. Little snake. How the hell'd he manage to get that position anyway?"

Perez took another sip and his eyes twinkled. "The same way they all do, I suppose. One shmuck in politics picks the most annoying actor he can find and plants ideas of idolization in the idiot's head."

Taisho snorted and reached for his own mug, taking a sip before grimacing and looking down at the stuff in it. The gritty texture told him that Izayoi had again put some sort of vitamin powder into his coffee. As if the hot liquid would melt that stuff down. Setting it as far as he could away from himself, he laced his fingers together and met Perez's gaze.

"So, what do we do?" He asked, more curious than really worried. Perez may have been nearing seventy, but the old man was wily.

"They're giving me a month to find a candidate appropriate for replacing me."

"Any come to mind?"

When it came to a change in leadership, the balance of the three factions must always be considered. Depending on what faction the commander was, his second and third followed in accordance. Perez was a civilian, as such it was his duty to find the best candidate from the civilians within the Eastern Fleet.

"As far as I know, my first: Roana Casteel and my second: Dominic Baratta are keeping their positions, so the only choice is in the civilian faction. The council will be choosing their own candidate within the week. They probably already have someone in mind, sly bastards. The election is already scheduled two months out."

Taisho raised a brow, still awaiting the answer to his question. Perez let out a chuckle and shook his head once more. "A politician by the name of Adriana Cortez."

Taisho scrunched his nose in disdain and sat back. "A politician, Perez?" He asked eyeing the old man speculatively. "Are you sure you _haven't_ lost your mind?"

"I've been watching the girl for a while. She'd be a breath of fresh air for the fleet."

"Ambitious?"

Perez quirked his lips and nodded to his personal screen set in front of him on his desk. "Already sent you her information, as well as what I could dig up on her background."

"Are you actually looking for my approval? Or just a second opinion?"

"Though you may not believe it, old dog, I truly value your thoughts." Perez paused and let out another sigh, suddenly looking his age. "This also concerns the threat of this traitor we are trying to ferret out. It hasn't escaped my notice that the council is now trying to conveniently disrupt our conspiring."

"Hardly conspiring if the threat is very real, Perez."

"It wouldn't take much for the council to write us off as crazy kooks incapable of governing our own fleets, Taisho."

"Is that why you've decided to back down without a fight?" Taisho asked quietly, carefully watching the tired visage of the Eastern Commander.

"Hn. It is easier to concede the battle to win the war." Perez answered just as quietly. "I'll notify Hall and Moreau sometime later today. Look over that report and let me know what you think."

Without formally ending the conversation, both commanders cut the communication line. Taisho sat back in his chair, absently reaching for his mug of coffee as he contemplated his next course of action. His thoughts cut short as he sat up and spat the coffee concoction back into the mug. His wife's sudden need to make sure they were healthy was going to kill him, he decided, glaring at the tainted brew.

* * *

Hakaku was standing in his bathroom, glaring at his gravity defying hair, when his door opened and his older brother came in unannounced. Ginta flopped onto his bed unceremoniously, kicking his shoes off as he did so.

"No, please, Ginta. Go right ahead. I don't mind you busting in here so early in the morning. And by the way, how are you?" Hakaku spoke to himself sarcastically, eyeing his unmoving sibling in the mirror.

"Ngh. Hakaku." Ginta groaned out, his face plastered to his brother's pillow. "Too early in the morning for sarcasm."

Giving up on his hair for the moment, he turned to give his brother his full attention. "Well, what brings you here?"

Ginta turned his face so an eye was on Hakaku and lifted his chin slightly so his mouth wasn't full of bed linen. "Did you get the same message as the rest of us this morning?"

Hakaku's brows scrunched and he crossed his arms over his chest as he leaned back into the counter behind him. "Yeah. Training was cancelled. What of it?"

Ginta sighed and levered himself up, turning to sit on the edge of the bed. "I didn't get it until I was already suited up and ready to go. Your room was closer than mine, so..." He trailed off and shrugged, flopping back onto the bed. "What the hell was it cancelled for anyway? My message didn't have any details."

Hakaku shrugged himself and headed over to his closet. Ginta continued as if he had answered. "Shot a message to Ayame, asking what the hell."

As if on cue, Ginta's screen chimed and lit up. Hakaku shifted through his clothes, trying to find a shirt that didn't have as many stains as the last.

"Oh man. Wolfe and Taisho got into it."

Hakaku snorted. "Don't they always? What's so different about this time?" He asked absently as he pulled out something gray and inspected it.

Ginta shook his head, still reading over the novel his partner had sent him. "Wrong Taisho. Kouga and Sesshomaru got into it."

Hakaku whirled around, the gray shirt clutched in one fist. "Kouga and _who_ did _what_?!"

Ginta was starting to grin as he kept reading, scrolling down periodically. "Yeah. Ayame says that late last night the two started brawling…" He trailed off, his eyes getting comically wide before he threw his head back and howled in laughter. "Oh, God! They fought in the showers! Naked!"

Hakaku sat heavily on the bed and hung his head into his hands between his knees. "Oh shit. Kouga, you dumbass."

"She says that Wolfe's face was smashed to hell." Ginta relayed as he typed back a quick message, asking for a picture.

"Please tell me that Taisho is in a similar state." Hakaku moaned, already knowing it was improbable. "I'm the one that's going to have to deal with his bitching later."

"No clue, apparently Taisho wasn't in the barracks when they woke up. Kouga was already dressed and heading out when Inuyasha spotted him."

"Oh man. Please tell me Kouga didn't get into a fight with Inuyasha."

Ginta glanced to the picture of exasperated despair his brother had fallen into. "Nah. Kouga brushed him off. So naturally, Ayame managed to track down a soldier that worked the night shift. Got the dirt from the soldier." His screen chimed again and he glanced down to continue reading. He let out a low whistle and Hakaku looked up from the floor.

"Part of their punishment was; they aren't allowed to get accelerated healing."

Hakaku's shoulders drooped and he rubbed his free hand over his face before standing from the bed. "Wonderful."

He took off his shirt and replaced it with the one he had decided on wearing for the day. Ginta shot another message to Ayame then looked up at Hakaku.

"Where are you going? We don't have anything scheduled for the rest of the day."

Hakaku returned to the bathroom and scowled at his hair once more. "I'm gonna head over to the learning center's linking pods." He answered absently and Ginta hummed, laying back on the bed.

"Have fun with that. I'm going back to bed."

Giving up on his hair entirely, Hakaku stomped over to his bed and grabbed Ginta by the ankle, dragging him off of his bed and toward his door. "Yeah, fine. But not in my room. Go to your own, lazy-ass."

Ginta stood from the floor, rubbing the back of his head that had bumped onto the floor when he was dragged from the bed. "So cold, Hakaku! Can't I just take a nap…?" The look Hakaku shot him had him sighing and putting his shoes on.

Hakaku opened his door and pushed his brother out in front of him before turning and locking his door with the scanner. Turning back to his scowling sibling, he rolled his eyes.

"No way in hell. Last time I let you stay in my room, I came back to you 'having fun' with Jenna from the R & D lab."

"Was that her name? Always thought it was Kendra…" Ginta mumbled thoughtfully, a grin stretching his lips as the memories came to him.

Hakaku rolled his eyes and started down the hall to the lift. "No, it was Jenna. Kendra was that chick from the tech labs on our last ship." He paused as a thought hit him. "You didn't…with Kendra…?"

The grin on Ginta's face got bigger and Hakaku grabbed him by the front of his shirt. "In my _room_?! You asshole!"

Ginta shrugged him off, still smirking. "It's not my fault your room is always closer when the time comes, little brother."

"You disgust me." Hakaku grumbled, trying not to think of the fact that he had _slept_ in that bed. Ginta laughed and whacked him on the back.

"That's just the jealousy talking. Don't worry, bro. One day you'll get to-"

Hakaku pushed Ginta into the wall and stalked the rest of the way to the lift, getting on and pressing his desired stop before the idiot could get on. His laughter followed him all the way down, making him grit his teeth. Why was his brother such a man-whore? He bemoaned to himself, relaxing slightly as the door opened again and he found himself in the middle of the commerce sector.

The learning center was on the far side of the commerce sector, situated on the fringes between commerce and residential. His destination, the linking pods, were located inside a small office at the very edge of the residential sector.

Hakaku and his brother had grown up in a civilian environment, always surrounded by technology and research. His father, having been a civilian R & D scientist, had always encouraged, and in some cases demanded, his children to tinker with stuff. Their mother, however, had been an instructor at their ship's learning center.

Ginta had strongly taken after their father, constantly tearing things apart and trying to put them back together in new ways. Hakaku remembered the time Ginta had disassembled the control panel in the shower and switched the temperature gauge. The higher the temperature, the colder the water. Their mother had not been amused.

Hakaku, however, had had no interest in machinery and gadgets, but he had learned alongside Ginta. When the both of them had been tested and designated as psychic's, it had come as a great shock to everyone. As far back as any could remember, and according to the records kept on ship, there had been no sign of psychic ability in either branch of the family. Not even by militaristic standards. Being the first had opened up many doors for the both of them.

Ginta's first choice in careers had been psychic technology and engineering. Hakaku…hadn't a single clue what he had wanted to do. On the day he, and many other psychic's, had linked for the first time, Hakaku had found something he was interested in. It wasn't so much the link itself, but the process that occurred during a link.

His interest in the psychology behind how a link worked had him studying many different dissertations written by all sorts of psychic researchers throughout the years. He began to experiment during his linking sessions with the military volunteers, always asking before he tried anything. Though he wasn't the best of the class, his patience, curiosity, and passion for linking had caught his mother's attention.

During his final year of learning, his mother had asked for his help in a class. Not knowing exactly what was in store, he had hesitantly agreed. Taking him to a pod room with several other older psychics, she had finally explained. The psychics in the room were volunteer veteran battle-links, and they were going to link with a beginner military class for the first time.

She had gotten permission from the higher ups to let him join in, monitored by the techs of course. Linking with a beginner had been vastly different than a veteran. Just getting the younger soldiers to open up had been interesting. So much so that he had decided on his secondary job after that first volunteer link.

Ginta and Hakaku had nominated battle-link as their first choice, both designated to the Poseidon, much to their relief. Ginta had immediately signed onto the R & D division labs, and Hakaku had registered himself as a volunteer link at the learning center.

Which was where he found himself, outside the learning center pod room. Entering through the automatic doors he smiled at the psychic seated behind the reception desk.

"Oh, Kaiyo! You're just in time! There is a class of military cadets waiting to take their second round of testing. We were just about to send messages to any psychic on call."

Hakaku grinned in anticipation. "Alright! Let me get suited up. You mind notifying the pod tech?"

"Not at all, thanks for coming in. I'll set you up in room two."

Hakaku nodded and headed toward the small locker room situated in the back, already anticipating his day ahead, and putting his partner's issues to the back of his mind.

* * *

Sango let out a sigh as she got out of the showers in the locker room and headed over to the clothes she had hung up. Though the simulation had been postponed until later, she had decided to train anyway. Her muscles ached in the way rigorous exercise always caused and her mood was decidedly better than when she had first entered the training rooms.

Pulling on her usual shirt and sweat pants combo, she thought over the drama of that morning. Being woken up by Inuyasha's loud shout had been jarring, but not necessarily unexpected. What had her thoughts stumbling, however, had been Kouga's mashed face. Finding out it had been done by Captain Taisho had been surprising at first until Ayame had weaseled the information out of a nervous nightshift guard.

Shaking her head at male stupidity in general, Sango swept her damp hair up into a high tail and tied it off neatly, swinging her training gear bag over her shoulder. The reason the two had fought in the showers was pretty obvious, after all Kouga's jealousy had been building for days now. What had Sango curious was exactly what was said to actually provoke ice block Taisho into the fight.

The captain had been a solid wall the whole time she had known him, not responding too much to the digs made by the other two males on their ship. But in the past two days, Taisho had successfully beat the shit out of the both of them, with nary a scratch on himself. That was pretty interesting in and of itself, however mix in the secret training he was apparently doing and Sango could admit she was dying to know.

An idea had been percolating all while she had been going through kata in the training room. There was only one person she could really ask when it came to the stoic captain. A smile tilted her lips as she picked up her slow pace back to the barracks and her screen.

She would just have to give Kagome-chan a call.

Placing her hand on the scanner by the door, she impatiently waited for the door to open. She paused in entering the room when she caught sight of Kagura and Ayame. She thought for sure the both of them would have been off doing…whatever it is they do when they aren't training. Taking slow and measured steps to her bunk, she tried to keep her emotions buried.

Who knows how the two females would react if they knew she was about to get in touch with Captain Taisho's psychic. Setting her things down she wondered if it would be suspicious if she took her screen and bolted from the room. Picking up her screen, she nearly jumped a foot in the air when an arm slid around her shoulders.

A red ponytail flicked in the corner of her eye and Sango cursed the fact that she was now in Ayame's clutches.

"Say, Taijya…Kaze and I were wondering…"

Kagura smoothly slid to her feet and approached the other two girls. "If you could get a hold of Taisho's partner; Higurashi." She finished for Ayame and Sango scowled looking down at her screen.

"The both of you already tried to hack into my screen, didn't you?!" She accused in a low tone. Ayame giggled nervously and removed her arm from Sango's shoulders. Kagura, smirk still on her face, shrugged a shoulder.

"Yeah. Great security you got on that thing."

Sango let out a sigh and shook her head. "Yeah, yeah. I was just about to call her." She glanced at her fellow teammates. "Exactly why do you want to talk to her?"

"Pft! To get the skinny! The low-down!" Ayame scoffed tossing a pigtail over her shoulder. Kagura turned a sardonic eye from the redhead and met with Sango's serious eyes.

"Just want to ask if she knows what happened between the two." Her expression was mischievous but her tone was solemn.

Sango brought the screen up and scrolled through her contacts. Ayame, watching over her shoulder quirked a brow when she stopped on an unidentified number. "You don't have her programmed in your screen yet?"

"It usually does it automatically, so I never have to. Kagome-chan's link is the only one where I've had to input it all myself."

Kagura turned to peer over Sango's shoulder at the screen as well. "She must have a block on her link…though I thought only high level personnel are supposed to have that."

Sango shrugged her shoulders and pressed the call button. "Well, she is a botanist before a battle-link. Maybe she has high level clearance?"

Ayame raised her brow even higher. "A high level botanist? For what?!"

Sango shrugged again, glaring at the redhead. "How the hell am I supposed to know?! We'll just ask her when she picks up."

The three returned their gazes to the screen, waiting impatiently for it to connect. The icon flashed for a minute more, before a message sprang up.

"Your call could not connect. The other party is currently not accepting calls at this time. Please try again later."

"Aw, damn." Ayame muttered already turning on her heel to leave the room, Kagura following behind at a slower pace. Sango stared down at her screen in disappointment for a moment, wondering if the psychic was training with Taisho. Maybe that's where the other captain had been all morning? Why than was their own simulation training canceled?

So many questions and no answers.

* * *

Kagome let out a long sigh of bliss, softly patting her hair dry with her towel. Because yesterday had been a flurry of activity, she had decided last night that she would sleep in. Waking up 1100, she had slowly gotten up and took a long shower, her only thoughts revolving on what she wanted to eat as soon as she got dressed.

Looking in the mirror, she decided to make things easy for herself and swept her mid-length hair back into a low tail. As she entered her room, a flash caught her attention and she turned her head to see it was her screen. Walking slowly over, she picked it up to realize that someone had tried to get ahold of her.

"Why would Sango be calling?" She mused out loud as she hit the redial and waited for her to pick up. A gruff male voice and a battered face was not what she had been expecting, however.

"Yeah? The hell ya want?!"

Kagome's mouth hung open in shock as her eyes locked with a lighter shade of blue than her own. Snapping herself out of it she shook her head slightly and swallowed back her nerves.

"Uh, sorry! I was trying to call Sango Taijya. Um, is she there?" She paused in expectation of an answer, and fidgeted slightly when the man on the other side of the line just stared back at her. Was her screen frozen? Checking the numbers at the top she was relieved to see them still ticking by.

Her eyes swung back to the bruised face in front of her. Maybe he had damaged his hearing by whatever had happened to him? "Are you alright? You're face looks awful, shouldn't you go to med-bay…?" Seeing there was still no response, Kagome got irritated.

"Hello?! Are you ok?!" She was shouting down into the screen now, her eyebrows lowered and her mouth twisting down into a frown. His eyes looked glazed and his mouth was hanging open slightly. Did he have a fever on top of whatever else had happened to him? She waved her hand rapidly in front of the camera on her screen, relieved when he finally seemed to snap himself out of whatever he had been in.

"Uh…oh…um…sorry, what were you saying?" His voice was slightly hoarse and he had to clear his throat, bringing his hand up to his mouth.

"I was trying to get ahold of Sango Taijya. This is her screen, right?"

The man blinked and lifted his hand up to his head. "Uh, yeah. She…she just left and it was on her bunk."

Kagome raised an eyebrow, eyeing him closely. "So you just answered it? Isn't that an invasion of privacy?"

Mr. Bruised Face had the grace to look guilty as he rubbed the back of his head, ruffling the high tail of dark hair. "I guess. It was just making so much noise and I was trying to catch a nap." He mumbled out apologetically and Kagome felt a little bad about her accusatory tone.

"Oh, sorry for that, I guess. Um, not that it's any of my business, but shouldn't you go get checked out by a medic? Your face is seriously beat up. What happened to you anyway?"

Kouga froze as the angel on the other end of Sango's screen asked about his face rather bluntly. He had completely forgotten for a few moments that he was all bruised up from Taisho. When he had entered the deserted barracks a while ago, he had been relieved that no one was around to ask any more questions. He had had to deal with stares and gossiping whispers all morning and it was getting to be rather annoying.

Knowing that he had gotten his ass kicked in the showers by Taisho had been bad enough, but having to wear the proof on his face for everyone else to know had been a whole new level of shame. When he had gotten to the shower room to serve his punishment, he had been angry that the prissy bastard had already started, and the only sign he had even been in a fight was the small bruise over his cheekbone.

His knuckles didn't count either, that was more like a badge of honor than shameful. Neither of them said anything to the other and Kouga had been steaming by the time Taisho had finished his "side" and left the latter half of the showers to him. Naturally, it had a corner where some sort of strange mold was growing in the corner and the damn janitor wouldn't let him leave until he had scrubbed it all off.

Finally leaving the showers, hours after his punishment had started, all he had wanted to do was lay down. He had noticed Sango leaving the barracks ahead of him and heading to the mess hall. Probably for lunch, he absently thought, and deciding he would nap while everyone was out. Just as he had been lying down to sleep, an annoying chime had sounded out through the barracks.

If it had been a regular chime, he could have ignored it. However, the thing let out a series of chimes, like they were tumbling over themselves to get out of the screen they were coming from. Letting out an exaggerated huff of annoyance, he had rolled off of his bunk and stomped over to the screen. Swiping his finger over the acceptance icon, he had immediately unleashed his bad temper.

Locking eyes with startled sapphire, his thoughts scattered. Voluminous black fringe framed the delicate face that those eyes set in. Feeling strangely numb, he couldn't help but to stare at the beautiful girl on the other end of the communications line. Her pink lips were moving and the muted sounds told him she was speaking, but for the life of him, he couldn't seem to snap out of it, until a certain word reached his ears.

His face…? What about his face…? Her hand flashed across the screen in a frantic wave and he was abruptly ejected from Lala-Land. Oh, right. Shit. Taisho had beat his face in. God he must look awful! And he had just been staring at the girl like a conked out zombie!

Hiding his mortification, he shook the lingering fantasy from his mind and faced the girl again.

"Ah, well. This…isn't as bad as it looks. Besides, a real man bears his battle wounds proudly!" He mentally smacked himself as the words left his mouth. A real man?! The hell was he saying?! "This is just proof I can take anything!" Please, someone stop me! He thought desperately as he continued the ridiculous rambling.

Her raised brows and slightly widened eyes said it all. She clearly thought he was an idiot. "And you should see the other guy!" Who isn't even hurt, you dumbass. Clearly he needed help if he was now ridiculing himself in his head.

The girl's brows lowered and she cocked her head to the side. "So you were fighting? This wasn't from a mission or anything?"

"Tch. Those alien bastards couldn't touch me!" His chest puffed up with pride.

"So one of your training partners beat your face in?" Her tone was nonchalant and had his chest deflating.

"Well…"

"You know; it's not cool to fight with your fellow soldiers."

Kouga winced and rubbed the back of his head again. "Ah, yeah." His tone was sheepish as he glanced up at the girl in time to catch the smile she flashed him. His heart stuttered and he felt as if Taisho had punched him in the gut.

"As long as you know. You should try harder to get along, right?" The girl glanced over the top of her screen and then let out a low curse. "Sorry, I have to get going. The cafeteria will be closing soon, and I am starved. Do you mind letting Sango-chan know I called?"

Kouga found himself nodding stupidly before jolting with a realization. "Wait! What's your…" She smiled again and the line cut off. "…name." He finished lamely and stared down at the blank screen. Setting it down on Taijya's bunk, he tottered back over to his own.

He may not know her name, but Kouga was pretty sure he had just fallen in love.

* * *

Kagura impatiently tapped her foot. Her crimson orbs slid over everyone assembled than out to the rest of the area, looking for those that had yet to arrive. They, meaning her team and their ship's crew, were currently gathered in the remodeling hanger that had held their ship. The only ones left to arrive were Inuyasha, Sango and Kouga. Ayame had met up with her outside the mess hall, and Captain Taisho had already been in the hanger when they had arrived.

From what she could see of the apathetic captain, he had clearly won the fight with Wolfe. The bruise on his cheek was small and she'd bet her next paycheck that it would be gone in a few days' time. Kouga's so lame, she thought to herself, stifling the urge to snort.

The sound of boots on the steel walkway had her eyes meeting with fiery amber. Inuyasha was sauntering with a grin on his face, at least until he caught sight of his elder brother. The grin fell immediately and an expression of utter disappointment took its place.

"What the hell. Bastard Wolfe didn't even do any damage to you?! Dammit!"

Captain Taisho slowly slid a glance towards the younger sibling before returning it to inspect the hull of their ship. "Moron's tend to fight the same." He answered shortly and Inuyasha froze.

"You callin' me a moron?"

Before anyone could respond to his question, there was a loud clatter from the other side and the tail end of a conversation met their ears.

"-asking her name! C'mon, Taijya! Please?!"

"Captain Wolfe. You answered my screen without my permission. What the hell makes you think you deserve to know the name of my friend? She didn't tell you her name so I won't either!"

Kouga let out a loud groan, but was interrupted by a gruff voice barking his and Taijya's names.

"Would you hurry your asses up? Still got things to do before we can leave this tin can."

Kouga frowned as they got closer. "So that's why we were told to bring our stuff. I thought we weren't leaving until the morning after next?" He shifted his bag on his shoulder, as if reaffirming it was there.

"New orders just came in." The ship's pilot, a civilian by the name of Butch…just Butch…crossed his beefy arms over his wide chest and glared down at the smaller captain. "Got some introductions to make too, so keep your yap shut."

Kouga glared, but his mouth remained shut. Though their pilot wasn't military, the man had a way to make you feel as if something bad would happen to you if you disobeyed him.

Satisfied that both Wolfe and the younger Taisho would be silent through his spiel, he turned to the short teenager standing behind him. Kagura blinked as the girl took a step forward, and she realized she hadn't noticed her presence at all.

"Nice to meet you. My name is Kaede Higurashi. I'll be your new medic."

The resounding silence that followed her introduction was finally broken by Sango striding forward to shake her hand. "Sango Taijya. Pleased to meet you." She swung her gaze too Butch and raised an eyebrow. "What happened to Jakotsu?"

Butch cracked a wry smirk and shot a glance at Wolfe who had shuttered at the effeminate man's name. "Heh, got called away by his brother…Bankotsu. Working on a different ship now. Besides, Jakotsu's skills as a medic won't be enough for the work we'll be doing from now on."

"Keh. And short stuff here has the skills?" Inuyasha scoffed, eyeing the freckled teenager in front of him. "How old are you, fifteen?"

Expecting a burst of temper, Inuyasha jerked slightly when, instead, the girl turned a cold glare on him and eyed him up and down. As if dismissing him, she turned to Sango and beamed a wide genuine smile. "I've been extensively trained in all matters of healing, including psychic."

Kagura let out a hum of interest. "So, you're a psychic healer? That'll be really helpful."

Kaede shot the same smile to the older soldier, nodding her head modestly. "Though I'm only eighteen, I've already been in the field for two years, and I graduated top of my class."

"Alright, enough chatter! Let's go ahead and board our bird and get the hell out of here." Butch cut in, picking up the large duffle that he owned. Everyone else did the same and turned toward the hatch leading into the ship.

"Kaede Higurashi, right?" Kagura asked on a low purr, directing a smile and her hand to the teen. "Kagura Kaze."

Ayame stepped up behind the two, bouncing to catch the younger's eye. "Ayame Shiro!" She chirped out in introduction and Kaede gave her a polite nod, trying to hide her smile with a polite expression.

Sango blinked as a realization clicked in her head. "Higurashi…you're related to Kagome-chan?"

Sesshomaru stiffened at the mention of his partner's name and unwillingly found himself drawn back to the conversation he had ignored after the initial introduction. Inuyasha similarly had the same reaction though for another reason.

"Oi! You're Kikyo's Kaede?"

Kaede again slid her gaze to the brash soldier, her eyes taking in his appearance once more. Letting out a sniff she turned her head away. "Poor big sister. Forced to be the partner of a moron."

Ayame, Kagura, and Kouga grinned in delight. The girl would fit right in.

xXx

Well, here's the next one folks. Finally getting back out into the real action. Thank you for reading and please review!


	16. Chapter 16

Chapter Sixteen

Sesshomaru sat down at the table in the center of the brand new projection room that had been installed while they were on Ragnarok. He had scheduled a meeting with the Inu no Taisho four hours ago, when they had finally left port. Pulling his screen out, he checked over the confirmation message sent to him.

Truthfully, he hated to go through the proper military channels to get a hold of someone who he had a private line to, but this was work. Adjusting his posture in his seat, he faced forward when the projector flared to life and the holo-image of the western commander was seated on the other side of the table facing him.

"Captain Taisho. You have requested this meeting." The Inu no Taisho not-quite-asked and eyed the stoic visage of his eldest.

"Yes, sir. I find it to be imperative that the rest of the crew be told of my new designation."

There was a brief silence as Inu no Taisho processed the assassin's request. "You…want to tell unsanctioned officers a classified secret that only the top brass of the military is privy to."

Sesshomaru remained still, already knowing that the fleet commander was not asking him a question. Hideaki Taisho sat back in his chair, lacing his fingers together as he mulled the request over. "What is your reasoning?"

"Keeping it a secret from the rest of the team is only causing unnecessary tension and aggression."

Inu no Taisho smirked and sat up straight once again. "Ah, yes. I was notified of your…indiscretion aboard the Ragnarok." His hand came up to rub his chin. "Naked brawling, I believe it was." His sharp eyes zeroed in on his son and the smirk on his face grew at the way Sesshomaru closed his eyes as if in a slow blink.

'Regret your actions, eh, boy?' He thought examining the captain's body language.

"That…was an unfortunate turn of events." Sesshomaru allowed, his brows coming down as he met the commander's gaze.

"I imagine that was the tipping point in your decision to request that for the rest of your team be included on the classified information?"

Sesshomaru tipped his head in agreement than added on; "It would be foolish to believe that my designation could be kept from the rest of the team as time goes on." His eyes flashed as he again met his father's gaze. "I don't understand why they were to be kept in the dark in the first place."

Inu no Taisho's face hardened as he sat forward.

"Are you reprimanding me, son?" His voice was soft velvet.

"No, sir. Merely seeking understanding." Sesshomaru's voice was equally smooth.

"Tell me, then, Captain Taisho. Do you believe those in your unit, including their psychics, can be trusted?"

"Is there reason to believe they cannot be trusted?" Sesshomaru adjusted in his seat to lean forward slightly. "Is there a reason this is to be kept such a secret? I highly doubt that the idea of a new kind of enemy attack is the sole reason many in the military are kept in the dark. The public, yes. But military veterans who have already engaged the enemy?"

Inu no Taisho kept his silence, studying the captain in front of him. Sesshomaru pressed on.

"Exactly what kind of trust in my unit are you looking for? Trust that they won't go running to the media about military cover-up?" His eyes narrowed. "Preposterous."

Commander Taisho allowed a small frown as he lifted his head to stare down into eyes a lot like his own. He did not like when his decisions were questioned, especially by those years behind his own experience. As a father, however, he had to admit he felt a bit fulsome. The boy was coming into his own and Hideaki was not looking forward to the day they would come to actual blows.

"Very well, your request is accepted." Truthfully, he had made the decision as soon as the captain had made his request known. "However, I will leave instructions for Butch to relay the information." He reached over and swiped the icon on his screen, effectively ending the brief holo-conference and leaving all asked questions unanswered.

Sesshomaru stood from his seat. Though he had obtained his goal, the old man had a way of making him feel like he had lost the battle. Shaking off his ire, and knowing he wouldn't get any answers just standing there, he turned and headed for the door. The debriefing for their mission was in a few hours and he was slightly curious over what they had done to the training rooms.

* * *

Naraku Hadani stared down into his screen, ignoring any and all that happened to be passing him by. The latest news report from the collective fleets was slowly scrolling by, and he felt his interest pique when a particular headline popped up.

"Eastern Fleet Commander Scheduled to Retire,

The council has named Senator James Keegan as their pick for the election. Commander Perez has announced Councilor Adriana Cortez as his nominee. The election is scheduled to be held within the next few months…"

The article went on, but Naraku stopped reading. A smirk curled his lips as an unexpected connection came to mind. Exiting out of the news, he turned his screen off and made a sharp left, changing his direction.

The many doors leading into labs gradually shortened as he got farther into the heart of the R & D laboratories. His eyes lit upon the plaque bearing his name beside a doorway and his grin twisted slightly. Placing his hand on the scanner, he entered his personal office and locked the panel behind him. Sitting down behind his desk he turned on his office screen and input a number he hadn't used in years.

As the waiting icon flashed, he wondered, absently, what he would do to the other person if they had changed their link number. His thoughts were in vain, because in the next moment the person he had been looking for was staring back at him with widened eyes.

"Well, hello there, Byakuya. How have you been?"

The man on the other end allowed a polite smile as his eyes narrowed. "Ah. Mr. Hadani. It has been…quite a while." His voice was subdued, and would have even been considered friendly, if it weren't for the gleam in his eyes.

"Let's get straight to the point, shall we?" Naraku asked, mimicking the pleasant tone from the other man. "I believe that when you…transferred…from the Western Fleet to the East, you got yourself into politics…?"

Byakuya watched the man in his screen closely, the polite smile still on his face. "What is it you want from me, Mr. Hadani?"

Naraku leaned forward, resting his head on the laced fingers before him. "You work for Senator Keegan, do you not?"

Byakuya Hirestuna kept silent, knowing full well the devious psychic had been keeping tabs on him since he had…left…the western fleet. Considering the recent article that had been submitted to the ether-news, he wasn't surprised the snake was contacting him now.

"Allow me to explain…" Naraku trailed off, his smile starting to look rather maniacal. Byakuya let out a silent sigh and got up to lock his office door. It seemed his job was about to get a lot more interesting.

* * *

"Come in and take your shirt off." Kaede's tone was aloof and professional, but the tilt of her head, as if she was trying to look down her nose, gave her away. Inuyasha scowled and crossed his arms over his chest.

"Keh, just can't wait to get me naked, can you, brat?" He teased in a snide tone and lifted his shirt over his head, missing the venomous glare she shot him.

"I don't go for poorly developed meat-heads." She answered flippantly and turned her back with a dismissive sniff, picking up the small handheld injection gun. "Honestly, I was dreading the physical examination because I'm sure the sight of you alone will damage my optic nerves."

Inuyasha spun around to face the teenager, mouth opening to begin a tirade of curses, only to stop when she grabbed his arm and shot the prescribed antibodies into his bicep. "Now you're done. Get out."

Inuyasha's mouth was still hanging open when she tossed him his shirt and shoved him out the med-bay and into the hall. "I will certainly have to send a report to Kikyo-nee about your unimpressive physique. Hopefully, this will expedite her decision to drop your flabby ass."

He stood there in shock, clutching his shirt to his chest. Behind him, Kagura and Ayame were in tears holding onto each other.

"Oh, God! His flabby ass!" Ayame nearly shouted, trying not to strangle on her laughter. Kagura was laughing too hard to say anything. Kouga, hearing the ruckus from down the hall turned the corner to see what the hell was going on.

Noticing Inuyasha standing in a daze half-naked, he turned to the two girls clutching each other and laughing. Kagura calmed slightly and looked up to meet Wolfe's eyes. "Ahaha…I love our new medic." was all she got out before Ayame shouted "Flabby ass!" and the both of them were dying once again.

"Oi! Mutt! The hell is going on?!" Kouga turned to Inuyasha, watching as his face got red and his hands jerked his shirt over his head.

"Fuckin' little brat!" He shouted as he stomped down the hall, leaving a clueless Kouga and the cackling females, behind. "Better not tell Kikyo shit!"

The door to med-bay slid open and Kaede poked her head out, spying Kouga. "Ah, Wolfe. Perfect timing. Your exam still needs to be conducted. If you'd come inside and take off your shirt, please?"

Kouga glanced back to Ayame and Kagura, as to which both seemed to be coming to their senses. "Am I going to regret this?"

Both females grinned at each other and then back to the captain. " _You_ might, but _we_ won't." Kagura allowed and Ayame snickered.

"Wolfe! What are you doing?!" The teenager demanded from within the office and Kouga jumped, rushing through the door and allowing it to close behind him.

* * *

Sango let out a breath as she unloaded the last of her clothing back into her small closet. The outlay of the ship hadn't really changed all that much during the remodeling. Their rooms had remained mostly untouched and all of the basic amenities had remained the same. New equipment upgrades may have been added.

The major changes had been within the training rooms. Instead of the basic training room, they now had their own simulator, if on a smaller scale. They could now engage a simulated enemy in varying degrees of difficulty. Their transporter had also been tweaked, but Brandon's explanation on exactly what had been changed had only confused her.

All she could really get from it was their tracker and location setting had been amped up. Whatever that did for them. She wasn't an engineer, the hell did she know? Brandon was excited about it and she supposed that's all that really mattered.

Picking up her screen, Sango debated for a minute whether she should call Kagome back. Well, if she didn't pick up, she could always just shoot her a message. Sango nodded to herself and swiped the call icon, just as a knock sounded on her door.

Looking from the door to the dialing link, Sango stood indecisive for a minute; finally yelling out: "Who is it?"

"Ah, Taijya-san. I'm here to tell you that you are one of the last that still need a physical exam and shot."

Sango relaxed at the teen medic's voice and walked over to the door, placing her hand on the scanner to open the door. "Come on in, quick!" She half-whispered as she hustled the startled girl into her room and shut the door.

Just in time as, "Sango-chan?" came from her screen on her bed. Kaede stiffened as if she had been shot and whipped her head over to Sango, who winked as she walked passed and over to the bed.

"Sorry, Kagome-chan! Had to answer the door!" Sango apologized as she lifted the screen.

"Oh thank God. I was worried I was going to get that guy again." Kagome trailed off as the screen stopped moving and she was face to face with someone she hadn't seen since she had been a little girl. "K-kaede…?"

"Kagome!" Kaede choked out and Sango was startled to see the medic was on the verge of tears. Looking quickly into her screen, she watched as the psychic sniffed back her own tears and smiled.

"Oh gosh. It's been…years!" Kagome gushed and Sango was starting to feel awkward, being the one holding the screen. "How have you been?"

Kaede sniffed herself and rubbed a hand over her eyes. "Good! I wasn't expecting to be able to talk to you so soon!"

Both let out strained laughs and Sango shifted on her feet. "Uh, should I let you two talk…?" She wondered out loud and Kagome let out another laugh.

Kaede straightened from the slumped position she had been in and shook her head, a large smile on her face. "No that's ok! Kagome, trade link numbers with me!" Kagome nodded and the both of them quickly traded information.

"Oh, I also have Souta's numbers. Did you want his too?" Kaede asked looking into the older girl's eyes. Kagome laughed in embarrassment and scratched the back of her head.

"Yeah, kinda sad I don't have my own brother's number…" She trailed off and Kaede giggled while Sango shook her head.

"Nah, Souta told me he had changed it recently. When I had asked for your number he had had the same reaction as you."

"How'd you get in contact with Souta anyway?" Kagome asked eyeing the medic in curiosity.

"Eh, story for another time." Kaede shifted her attention to the soldier still holding the screen between them. "Sango don't forget to come to the med-bay before your debriefing."

Sango agreed and Kaede left the room, waving back to the two and hiding the tears gathering in the corners of her eyes. Sango turned her full attention to Kagome.

"Ok. What was that about?"

Kagome sighed and shifted in the chair she was seated at in her room. "Well, our family had a bit of a falling out when we were younger." Sango raised a brow and Kagome continued. "Kikyo and Kaede's parents were killed in a battle. Bad information, or something. Their grandmother on the other side took them in and things got…strained. I'm not sure on the particulars, but Kaede and Kikyo stopped talking to us."

"Oh. Uh…sorry I asked…?" Sango tried out tentatively, not sure how to read the blasé tone in Kagome's voice.

Kagome waved it off. "Nah. Don't worry about it. I've got a line to Kaede and Kikyo shouldn't be too far behind, we'll work it out."

"I kind of respect you for that positive outlook…" Sango murmured, not seeing the shadows moving in the psychic's eyes.

"Anyway, Sango-chan. What were we playing link-tag for earlier?"

"Oh, yeah! Kagome, what the hell happened between Captain Taisho and Captain Wolfe?!"

Kagome froze, her brows coming down and her lips forming a frown. "What happened with Taisho and who?"

"You know, Wolfe." Sango paused, a scowl coming to her face. "The one with the mashed up face that answered my screen."

Kagome jerked back slightly and her eyes widened. "Are you saying Taisho did that to him!?" A thought hit her and she leaned forward. "Oh God, he said the other guy looked worse! Is Taisho ok?!"

Sango blinked and felt her lips twitch. Taisho… _hurt_ by _Wolfe_. The thought had a giggle coming out before she could stop it. "Ah, no. Wolfe lied. Taisho still looks as pretty as a picture."

Kagome breathed a sigh of relief and deflated her tense posture. "Oh. Why'd he lie, anyway? What did they fight over?!"

Sango shrugged. "That's why I was calling _you_. No one knows what they were fighting over and we thought since you are Taisho's psychic partner..."

Kagome shook her head. "Sorry. I didn't even know they had fought. Taisho and I weren't scheduled for any training until later today in the evening. That was canceled due to the emergency mission."

Sango sighed and sat back against the headboard on her bed. "Yeah, debriefing is in a couple hours." She paused, casting about for a topic of conversation now that the important stuff had been discussed. "Oh, yeah. Wolfe was asking for your name; why didn't you tell him?"

Kagome scoffed and crossed her ankles in front of her. "The whole time we talked was awkward and weird. He just stared at me like he wasn't all there. I think Taisho caused some damage upstairs, if you know what I mean. I made a quick excuse to get off as soon as I could."

Sango snorted. "He just stared at you?"

"Yeah, and his eyes were kinda buggy. Well, one was buggy the other was kinda swollen." Kagome answered trying to recall how the brief call actually went. Sango let out a giggle, followed by another and steadily worked her way up to full-blown laughter. The mental imaging going from awkward to ridiculous real quick.

"I think he was kinda drooling too…though I couldn't help staring at his purple nose…"

"Oh…God! Kagome! Stop!" Sango gasped out, clutching her sides as Kagome finally joined in on the laughter. "So I take it you don't want me to tell him who you are?"

Kagome shook her head, still laughing but looking slightly guilty. "Ugh, does it make me a bad person if I say no?"

Sango laughed again. "Nope, I don't think so. I'm kind of still mad at him for answering my screen, anyway." Looking to the psychic she raised a brow. "What have you been up to?"

Kagome grinned, remembering her relaxing day and the fact that she still had plans to traipse down to her hothouse later. "Absolutely nothing. I went window shopping, got something to eat... you know, lazy day stuff." Sango hummed and nodded her head, looking wistful. "I plan to go to my lab later though."

"Oh, yeah. You're a botanist. What's that like?"

Kagome shrugged, trying for an air of nonchalance but her sparkling eyes gave her away. "I experiment on plant species, trying to find the right way to cultivate them on inhospitable planets."

"Woah. Now that's trippy stuff." Sango rolled onto her side and propped her head in her hand. "How'd you get into that?"

"Well, see, I had this great teacher…"

* * *

Kouga grinned in self-satisfaction as he locked the training room panel and put in his earpiece, waiting for Hakaku to link up. Only one session at a time in the training room was allowed and he had managed to be the first one to snag it. Take that, Taisho. He thought in spite as he stretched his arms across his chest, one at a time.

The gentle prodding of Hakaku interrupted his inner cackling. 'Yo, Hakaku!' He greeted rather cheerfully and Hakaku found himself at a loss. Truthfully, Hakaku had expected Kouga to be a snarling ball of jealous fury. The giddy, smug feelings he was getting instead worried him a bit.

'Uh, hey, bro. You, uh, ok?'

Kouga stretched down to touch the floor by his feet. 'Of course! Why wouldn't I be?'

'Because you got your ass handed to you in the showers by Taisho.' Hakaku answered bluntly, hoping the wires in his partner's head hadn't been fried.

Kouga paused, a flash of irritation rising up, then he forced it back down. 'Keh, that doesn't matter anymore.' He stood from the pose he had been in and walked over to the titanium knuckles hanging on the wall. His fingers flexed as he pulled on the fitted gloves and gave a couple practice jabs.

'It doesn't?!' Hakaku asked incredulously as he monitored Kouga's energy pattern. 'I'm gonna regret asking this, but, why doesn't it matter…?'

Kouga grinned, his hand waving over the scanner to start the simulation. ''Cause, I met a girl.' A soft whirring filled the room and the blank white walls morphed into the dulled grey of a Baasratu ship. Their first opponent came through a fake doorway and Kouga launched across the room to attack.

Hakaku moved Kouga's energy into his arms and legs, adding to his speed and strength. Absently paying attention to the fight, he observed Kouga's mental state. His mind seemed stable…

'Where the hell would you have met a girl?' He finally asked, his curiosity and confusion winning over his caution. He felt irritation when Kouga let out a smug snicker.

'On Taijya's screen.' Kouga answered even as his fist punched into the chest of his enemy, disintegrating the simulation in the process. Another appeared as the first fell. This one moved faster, and had Kouga grinning in anticipation.

'Is that a euphemism for a dating site?' Hakaku asked dryly, directing energy to Kouga's shoulder to fend off an attack he wouldn't be able to avoid. Kouga let out a small grunt at the impact then swung his leg up, knocking the enemy to the floor.

'No! Our teammate, Taijya!' Kouga let out an exasperated sigh when he still felt his partner was confused. 'She left her screen on her bunk and someone was calling.'

'You answered her screen?' Hakaku asked, not sure why he was appalled, really. It was just like the brash captain to answer someone's screen without thinking.

'Well, it was annoying.' Kouga defended himself as he ended the next simulation and two more appeared. 'Not the point. The point is; the girl was the one calling.'

'Uh huh.' Hakaku allowed his voice to show his doubt, focusing on the enemies as they came. 'And this girl's name is…?'

Kouga faltered slightly then dodged to his left as the simulated Baasratu swiped at him. 'Well, I don't know. She didn't tell me and Sango's too pissed to let me know.' He paused as he delivered a blow to one of the two enemies and kicked the other back as it flew at him from the side. 'But I think she's in the military faction!'

'Oh, yeah? What makes you think that?' Hakaku murmured as he checked over the blow Kouga had gotten on his shoulder a bit ago.

'Well, Taijya's not exactly a girly-girl. Can't really see her having female friends, and especially not any outside the military.'

Hakaku grimaced at the unintended insult and hated to admit it, but he agreed. 'Yeah, I can see that. So what's this girl look like?' The second enemy dropped and a small timer flicked on from their left. They had a small break for five minutes before the simulation started again.

Moving his energy along Kouga's legs, Hakaku almost pushed his energy too hard when he was suddenly blasted with a fantasy from Kouga's head, featuring Kagome Higurashi. She was sitting on a bed, her body looking slightly disproportionate. Her breasts looked too big and her waist was impossibly tiny. She was batting her eyes and the voice Kouga was imagining was sickly sweet. _"_ _Oh, Kouga-kun!"_

Now, Hakaku could admit, Higurashi was a very pretty girl, but he didn't suffer from delusions of grandeur. He knew without a doubt that Higurashi would only ever remain as eye-candy; like an actress or idol. Too far out of his reach to do anything but dream. The fact that his idiot of a partner thought that he'd get any further than acquaintances, irritated the hell out of him.

'Heh, sorry 'bout that Hakaku.' Kouga sighed, sounding like he was bragging. 'But, my woman is just so hot.'

Something within Hakaku snapped.

'Hey, you know her, don't you? I'm pretty sure that was recognition I felt from you…' Kouga asked and Hakaku swallowed his irritation.

'Uh, yeah. I know her.' Inspiration struck and Hakaku would have grinned evilly if he could have. 'Her name's Yumi.'

'Yumi? No last name?!'

Hakaku hummed as if in thought. 'Yeah, don't remember her last name. She _is_ in the military. Works for the Northern Fleet.'

Kouga crowed in delight, taking out the simulated enemies as they began to reappear. 'Thanks, man! I really owe ya one!'

Hakaku mentally rolled his eyes, ignoring the brief stab of guilt. 'Yeah, ok. Let's focus on training now.' Kouga laughed in agreement and focused back on his simulation.

* * *

Kagome walked into the pod room, adjusting her suit. The happy bounce in her step went unnoticed as she walked over to her designated pod and picked up her electrodes. Miroku, however, noticed the pep in her step and raised an eyebrow.

"What's got you in such a good mood?" He asked as he lazily leaned over the top of his pod.

Kagome looked over and beamed a smile in his direction. "Just had a long talk with Sango-chan." Miroku jerked to attention. "We were talking over the particulars behind terraforming." He instantly deflated against the pod and put his head down on top of his arms.

"Of course. Kagome, the plant nut." He muttered just loud enough for Kagome to hear.

"Pft. Better than being: Miroku, the Sango nut." Kagome sniped back, not seeing the wicked grin that curved Miroku's lips.

"Heh. I _want_ -"

"Finish that sentence and die." Kagome cut him off, her pervert alarms ringing. Miroku chuckled to himself and looked up as Wallace came in through the doors in a rush.

"Sorry! I had to show another tech how the pods operated over in the sixth room! Jeez, we have so many psychic's on board linking today! Must be a big deal." Wallace muttered the last part to herself.

Kagome cocked her head to the side and glanced to Miroku. "Will there be others using the four other pods in this room?"

Wallace turned around and shook her head. "Nope. The room is all yours for tonight. Tomorrow, however, is going to be jam-packed. I think this will be the first time we've ever used all the linking pods on-ship!"

Miroku let out a low whistle. "Must be a big mission, then. Guess we'll find out in the debriefing."

Kagome opened her pod and looked over at Wallace. "Do we have enough pods for everyone to be linked like that?" She asked. Never thinking she would be a battle-link, she had never gone over the exact figures on how many battle-links were actually on-ship. She did know that they only had a little under two hundred linking pods, though.

Wallace shook her head, a flush on her cheeks as she talked through her excitement. "No. We don't. We had to commandeer three battle cruisers to use their linking pods. They were not happy about that one, let me tell ya. A few psychics had to be debriefed early and sent to the port ship Amalla as well."

Kagome and Miroku both had theirs eyes wide at this point. Looking from a beaming Wallace to each other, they wondered exactly what was going on. "Lucky for you two, your part of the advance force, so you get priority when it comes to the pods. Tomorrow, psychic's will be using the pods in shifts. After your part of the mission is over, two others will be using your pods. So we'll have to work fast."

A chime sounded in the room and Wallace waved her hand in a shooing motion. "Alright in the pods you two get. Got lots of work ahead of us."

Kagome slipped into her pod, her nerves jangled over the abundant amount of information just shoved at her. The stasis gel rose quickly and she shut her eyes, regulating her breathing even as the stuff came up her chin and then over her face. Just as she felt the cold liquid close over her head she felt her link initialize.

* * *

Sesshomaru sat in the large meeting room, his arms resting on the dark table in front of him. A holo-projector sat in the middle of the table. Across from him and on the other side of the projector sat Butch. He was casually scrolling through information on his screen, most likely reading over their mission parameters.

The door to the meeting room opened and a damp Kouga finally sailed in. Inuyasha was the first to open his mouth but Butch's rough voice stopped him from saying anything.

"About time you got here, Wolfe. I hope spending all that time to make yourself smell pretty was worth it."

Kouga mumbled out an apology, and no sooner did he sit down then Sesshomaru felt the familiar feeling of his psychic forming their link.

'Evening, Taisho.'

Her voice soothed a tension he didn't even know he had still had since the incident with Wolfe in the showers. Making a small noise in acknowledgement, he allowed her energy to relax the muscles in his neck and shoulders. He held back a rumble in his chest as she continued down his arms and then back up to his neck.

'Geez. What have you been up to since the last time we linked?' There was a hint of mischief in her voice. 'Getting into fights in the showers?'

She felt a flash of irritation spike through his contentment and sent a thought of innocence. 'Hn. Who have you been speaking to.' He not-quite-asked and Kagome hummed in thought.

'It doesn't really matter, does it? Besides, I saw the other guy-'

'You _what_?'

Kagome paused at the maelstrom of emotions that simple statement created within her partner. Tentatively reaching out with her energy, she tried to understand what the problem was. 'Uh. I saw Captain Wolfe…' She wondered if she should tell him they had talked on a communications line. The frigid feelings she was getting just from saying the captain's name made her rethink it. 'A picture. My friend sent me a picture.'

He didn't believe her. She was a terrible liar. The stilted way she explained herself was proof enough that she wasn't telling him the truth. Getting a hold of his rage, Sesshomaru reined in his emotions, projecting the epitome of calm.

'I see.' Was all he said, deciding to drop it. The idiot Wolfe hadn't said anything, and until he did; he would wait.

'Anyway, I was told he looked a heck of a lot worse then you, so I assume you…won?' Kagome tried to get passed the awkward moment and mentally frowned when he didn't take the bait. Instead their conversation dropped to the wayside and the both of them were left to their own contemplations. Or, Taisho contemplated and Kagome worried.

The sound of the holo-projector starting up brought the both of them to the present as Butch stood from his chair and looked around the room.

"Alright, everyone synched and ready to go?" He asked, meeting each soldiers eye and making sure he got the affirmative to move ahead. "Great. So, as you know, we have been assigned an emergency mission. What you may not know is that everyone within the western quadrant was issued the same mission."

Butch paused as he passed his finger over his screen and a large planet was suddenly projected before them. "We have found a resource planet."

Shocked silence filled the room and Butch allowed the others the time they'd need to assimilate the announcement. Sesshomaru, while not shocked so much as trying to calculate what this would mean for the western fleet, had trouble blocking Higurashi's overwhelming excitement. A whoop from Inuyasha shattered the stunned silence and suddenly everyone was talking at once.

"Alright! Alright! Shut up!" Butch hollered over the din and slammed his hands down on the table. "Calm down and let me explain. Then you can go ape-shit." He straightened from his lean and lifted his screen. The picture of the planet zoomed out and they were looking at a sight that had the excitement draining from their faces.

Before the planet, and acting as a barricade, was a massive amount of Baasratu warships. Sesshomaru's eyes narrowed as Higurashi gasped in horror.

"Now you see why we need all hands on deck. Normally, we'd avoid confrontation and simply move on. Our resources, however, are dwindling. Water is getting low, and we aren't sure whether we'll find another resource any time soon." Butch paused to check his screen and scrolled down a bit. The image changed to single out three separate ships in the enemy's fleet.

"These three ships are going to be our target." He looked up at the soldiers studying the ships grimly. "They're the ships holding up the energy barrier around them and the planet. There are four others, but two other teams will be taking those on. Once we eliminate the ships, we're to get the hell out of the way. The battleships will take out the rest."

No one spoke as they thought over the implications. Confronting a large fleet of the enemy only happened once in a while. The majority of the time it was only one or two ships here and there. Thus the reason their battles were mostly close combat. Not to mention, neither race wanted to waste resources or materials that were already hard to find.

The battleships they were calling in, this time though, had energy cannons. It was going to be one massive mess, Sesshomaru thought, looking at the three ships singled out for them to take down. His eyes moved over to meet with Butch's gaze. The older pilot lifted his brow and raised his chin, silently asking if he was really sure. When Sesshomaru gave a sharp nod, Butch let out a sigh.

"There is another matter of business that needs to be discussed."

Kagome shifted her energy absently against Taisho's arm. 'Taisho? What's going on?' She asked, having noticed the silent communication between her partner and the pilot.

'He's going to tell the rest about what we are. What we're going to be doing.'

A flash of insight hit her and understanding dawned. 'The secrecy is what sparked the fight with Wolfe, isn't it?' He didn't answer, but he didn't need to. Letting out a satisfied hum, Kagome sent another wave of energy over his shoulders and up his neck.

'Good. I don't like keeping secrets.'

* * *

Kouga sat back in his chair and shot a glance at the stoic captain sitting not far from himself. An assassin class, huh? Taking out Baasratu that could disrupt a link with your psychic partner. His eyes wandered back to the black lacquered table in front of him. No one had said a word after Butch's explanation, trying to take in all the information they had just been given.

'I'm glad…' Hakaku's subdued murmur reached him and Kouga switched his attention to his partner. '…I'm glad it's not us.'

Kouga didn't say anything, but he agreed. Regardless of his brash nature and daring attitude, Kouga wasn't stupid enough to think he could take on the burden that Taisho was. To be able to fend off a mental and physical attack from multiple sources… His eyes closed at the thought and he felt the same distaste coming from Hakaku.

'Yeah. Me too.' Kouga murmured back to his partner before crooking his lips into a half-hearted smirk. "Geez, Taisho. You really are some kind of monster." He jabbed, his feelings not into it though.

Sesshomaru glanced to the other captain. "Hn."

His noncommittal response had the younger Taisho snorting. "Keh, just like the prissy bastard to take on something crazy."

"So, your saying that these Baasratu that can take out our links are on these ships?" Kagura asked on the behest of her annoying partner.

Butch let out a small grunt and nodded. "Yep. 'S why Taisho will be boarding first. Once the signal is cut we'll be sending you into the mayhem, so make sure you're ready. We ain't takin' no prisoners, so make sure you kill 'em all."

Inuyasha snorted again and crossed his arms over his chest. "Well, that's a given."

"Another thing, this is all classified information. You tell anyone and the punishment is a court-marshal…on the light side. You don't wanna know what could happen to you otherwise."

'Hmph. As if this _civilian_ can tell me what to do.' Naraku hissed and Kagura stiffened slightly.

'You'll listen to what he says if you don't want to be thrown out an airlock.' She growled back to him and clenched her teeth over the soft laughter that met her "ears".

'Why, my dear Kaze, I wouldn't dream of endangering myself in such a way.' His sly voice had a ring of seriousness to it that had Kagura's hackles lowering. 'Besides. It would be incredibly stupid of me to let the cat out of the bag with so many eyes watching.'

'Damn straight it would be, and I'd be the first to report you.'

His creepy chuckle reached her ears, again, just as the debriefing was called to a close.

* * *

"Transfer documents, if you please. Have them ready on your screens for verification." The soldiers voice carried over the conversations filling the large lobby. Taking out her screen she brought up the correct documents and waited in the que to board the ship. Her screen wobbling had her focusing on her hands. With a quiet curse, she realized they were trembling. Looking to the time posted by the door, she cursed again as she realized it was too soon for her to be showing withdrawal symptoms.

"Documents, miss?"

She startled at the voice from in front of her, not realizing in her revere that she had come to the fore of the line. She handed over her screen for verification, and hid her hands from view in the long sleeves she had decided to wear.

"Okay, everything seems in order. Welcome to the Western Fleet."

She gave a shallow nod by way of response and allowed a small smile at the grin the soldier flashed her as he continued on to the person behind her. Finally, one step closer, she thought, reaching into her small satchel and drawing out the small container that held her pills. She discreetly popped one in her mouth and swallowed it quickly. It wouldn't do to have an episode on the flight, after all.

xXx

Here's the next one. Things are picking up now, folks. Thank you very much to all of you that have reviewed, and I hope you continue to enjoy! Thanks for reading and please review!


	17. Chapter 17

Chapter Seventeen

Kagome could feel Miroku's stare at the side of her head. Hell, with the intensity he was using, she was surprised her hair hadn't caught fire. Instead of acknowledging him, Kagome kept her gaze on the frazzled Wallace.

Due to her appearance and the way she commanded those around her, it was clear that Wallace had been awake since the wee hours. Or perhaps she had never gone to bed, Kagome mused, watching as she sent another tech scurrying off with wires and two separate monitoring screens.

"She sure is amazing when riled up, huh?" A soft voice to her left had Kagome looking over to another female tech. She rose from the crouch she had been in while inspecting Kagome's pod, keeping her eyes on Wallace. "You can almost believe she really is the head of the link techs."

Kagome let out a small laugh and nodded her head. "Yeah, huh?" She turned fully to the tech and extended her hand. "Kagome Higurashi."

The tech grinned and grasped her hand. "Mei Tanemura. I'll be the one monitoring you and Soryu while your linked."

"Ah! To be in the care of such lovely hands! I am, indeed, a very lucky man!" Miroku interrupted, grasping a hold of Mei's hands and bringing them up as if to inspect them, shooting her a heavy-lidded look in the process.

Mei blushed furiously and yanked her hands back, crossing them over her chest and glaring at the psychic. "Yeah, we've been warned about you, Mr. Hormone." She said accusingly, but the blush on her cheeks remained. Miroku smiled serenely, as if not understanding where she was coming from. His eyes, however, were focused on the tech's well-endowed chest.

"My dear, I have no idea-!" It was when his smile turned into a smirk that Mei caught where his eyes were and she swung her hand, catching him across the cheek with a sharp crack.

"Pervert!" Mei shouted and stormed from the room. Kagome sighed and placed a hand at her temple. Really, the guy never learned. She thought in exasperation as she turned to glance at him. She stiffened slightly to see him staring back, his eyes hard and serious.

"Now that we're alone, you're going to answer some of my questions, Kagome." Miroku nearly whispered turning to face her fully. Kagome shot a wild look around the room and realized they were the only ones in the pod room. Where the hell had Wallace gone? A thought struck her and she turned an incredulous stare towards the other psychic.

"Did…did you just hit on Mei to chase her out of the room?!"

Miroku waved a hand as if it didn't matter, his expression never changing. He took a step forward and Kagome took one back, running into the pod behind her. Miroku took that last step and set his hands on either side of her, effectively caging her against the machine. Kagome gulped, feeling nervous at the intense way he was studying her.

"Where you forced into this?" His question was just as serious as his face, his voice low and soft. Kagome blinked, still unnerved by how close he was.

"Uh…yeah…do you not remember walking forward and caging me to the pod?" Kagome weakly tried for levity and let out a small chuckle. Miroku scowled and leaned further down so she was forced to look him in the eye.

"I'm serious, Kagome. Where you coerced into becoming a battle-link for the assassin?" Kagome frowned back, her eyebrows drawing down at the accusatory tone the normally docile psychic was using.

"No, Miroku. I wasn't 'coerced' into anything. This was my own decision to make!" She let out a breath as he backed up and gave her back her space. "What the hell does it matter to you, anyway?!"

Miroku took in a breath of air himself, not really relieved, but not as tense as he had been. "You're my…friend, Kagome. Of course I care!" He bit out in agitation. "I just think this was a really stupid decision on your part."

Before Kagome could open her mouth for a rebuttal, the door opened and Wallace came bustling in, a suspiciously bright smile stretching her lips. "Alright, love-birds!" She sang out, her voice overly cheerful. "That's all I can allow for your 'personal' time."

Both Kagome and Miroku turned to stare at her blankly. Wallace let out a small giggle and winked at Miroku. "You fast worker, you."

Kagome snorted to herself and opened her pod, shooting daggers from her eyes at the other psychic. Miroku met those daggers with an icy wall of his own, sticking to his words. Both got into their pods and checked over their electrodes. Now wasn't the time for this discussion, but both swore internally that they'd talk it over later.

A chime sounded from the back of the room and Wallace let out an excited squeal. "Show time, boys and girls!" She crowed as the pod tops dropped into place and Kagome was reclined into a more comfortable position. The stasis gel filled the pod quickly, and Kagome thought it felt just a little colder than usual. Then again, maybe she was just that angry.

* * *

"This isn't going to be an ambush. No surprise attacks, no getting the jump on the enemy." Butch announced to those sitting at the table, looking from one grim face to another. "The enemy is as much aware of us as we are of them. The battleship _Randal_ will buffer the enemies exterior attack when we swoop in range to send the lot of you on board the first ship. We won't have a large window of opportunity, so no fucking around."

Inuyasha muttered something under his breath and got an elbow from Sango.

"The maps on your armbands have been fitted with an energy detector. It's capable of picking up the disruption signal cast out by Taisho's target. However, it isn't as accurate as we need it to be."

"The hell does that mean?" Kouga asked gruffly, eyebrows lowered.

"It means you can still fall into range of the damn energy net if you aren't paying attention." Butch snapped back, placing his hands on his hips and looking as if he'd beat the snot out of the next person to interrupt. "Not like the lot of you won't be busy. While Taisho gets into the inner circle, the enemy will turn their attention on the lot of you. This won't be anything like you've faced before."

His eyes met each pair staring back at him, willing them to treat this as seriously as it was. "They won't be hiding, half-dead, waiting to be finished off. They will come at you in droves, making your simulations seem like a walk in the park. Do not hesitate to take out anything that comes at you. Do not forget to monitor the condition of your psychic either." His mouth twists slightly in distaste.

"The minute any of you feels the strain in your link, pull back and take care of it. Too many soldiers ignore their link and end up losing it in the middle of the battle. Needless to say, they don't return. Same goes for you, psychics. You feel the strain, you speak up. No one likes a martyr, and we certainly don't applaud a sense of misdirected heroism. We need you as effective as possible, and that means alive."

Seeing the nod from each soldier, Butch turned back to the holo-projector in the center of the table. "Now to keep the enemy from firing on their own ship while you're on it, four separate battleships are being sent in as distraction. How long they'll be able to hold out is a gamble." Butch looked to Taisho, who nodded grimly. "So this requires as much speed as you can manage. We don't need any fancy sword moves. Get in, kill the fucker, and get out." He smirked at the narrowing of the assassin's eyes.

"Once you've killed the first, the lot of you get your asses back to the drop point. While it would be in our best interests to kill 'em all, we got bigger fish to fry. Taking out the three disrupters and getting that energy barrier down is priority."

"What happens once we get the last of our objectives?" Kagura asked, studying the positions of their target ships in the enemy fleet.

"I'd like to say: 'Go wild and kill 'em all!', but I can't."

Inuyasha looked up sharply, his mouth already opening to complain, and strangely enough; so did Sango and Ayame. Butch held his hands up, his glare more than enough to keep the three quiet. "It's a pod issue. The fleet has all hands on deck; that includes the psychics. There aren't enough pods for the full scale attack we have planned."

"Well, why the hell not?!" Inuyasha almost shouted, glaring right back at the pilot. Butch let out a sigh and looked down at the table, bracing his hands against the ledge.

"We haven't had the resources to replace the _Cassiopeia_." He spoke softly and Inuyasha visibly flinched. The _Cassiopeia_ had been a far western port. The Baasratu had managed to take it down. No one moved, remembering, in their own way, what they'd heard about the attack.

"So, the plan is to get in, kill the main bastard, and get the hell out." Kouga broke the silence, sitting forward and looking at the planet set behind the Baasratu fleet. "Then, what? Come back here?"

Butch nodded, going back to his wide stance and crossing his arms. "Yeah. We're to pull back out of the way and remain on standby at the rear of the force."

Inuyasha snorted and leaned back in his chair. "Keh. Once a clean-up crew, always a clean-up crew." He mumbled out and Kagura rolled her eyes, elbowing him at the same time Sango did.

* * *

There was still a half-hour before the mission started, and Sesshomaru could tell his partner was freaking out. Though she hadn't said anything; it was in the way she fluttered her energy about, the small mumbles he couldn't quite make out, and the tidal wave of nerves she was barely keeping to herself.

'Higurashi.'

Kagome stopped going through her mental checklist for the hundredth time and turned her attention to her slightly amused partner.

'Are you scared?' His question same out sounding snide, and Kagome wasn't exactly sure if he meant it to or not. She decided to answer him seriously.

'Yes. Our first freaking mission in this new…job…and it's huge!' Kagome finally burst. 'The first major resource-find in…I don't know how long! And, it's our job to make sure the enemy barrier is taken down so we can get to it!' She paused, examining her partner's sedate energy flow with envy. 'How are you not even perturbed in the slightest?'

Sesshomaru closed his eyes and examined the bond between Higurashi and himself. During the training with Kitakawa, he had taken note of the difference between the two. The difference the link felt between him and some other psychic, and the link between him and _Higurashi_. A small smirk flitted over his face as he sent a surge of assurance through their link to her, feeling satisfaction when she let out a small gasp.

'Because we will succeed.' He answered her simply, his eyes opening as she let out a small laugh.

A chime at the front of the transport room caught everyone's attention. Brandon leaned into the room from the doorway, an excited flush rising in his cheeks. "Butch says it's about to get rough. The battle has already started, and the way to the drop point is-"

His words cut off as they were suddenly jostled sharply to the left. Brandon picked himself off the floor where he had fallen, rubbing his head. "Gah. Captain Taisho! In the transport! We gotta do this on the fly!"

Sesshomaru stood swiftly and made his way to the door, gripping the hand-rail when the ship rocked violently a second time. Brandon used his momentum from the jolt to push himself back into the monitor room, heading for the controls.

Kagome let out a shaky sigh as Brandon started up the machine. The feel of Taisho's energy wrapping around hers had her calming down. Whispering a quiet "Thank you" she wrapped herself tightly around her partner and tried not to think about the unsettling feeling transporting always gave her.

The overall feeling of the ship, once they had landed, had the small hairs along Sesshomaru's arms standing at attention. They were in a hall, and Sesshomaru made quick work of double checking his gear while waiting for instruction from his partner.

'Our target is a way's off.' Kagome murmured absently, tracing her energy down the living walls as far as she could, being careful not to touch on the enemy as she went. 'They haven't noticed our presence yet, but the minute you move, they will. Take the left and further down, two enemies in the immediate vicinity, five off a separate room.'

And like that, he was off, rounding the corner and dodging the first of the Baasratu in the way. Kagome picked up on their awareness and watched in curiosity as a silent alarm was projected to each Baasratu in a wave. At every enemy they encountered, a new ripple seemed to grow. An idea struck her, and with the amount of speed her partner had to work with… 'Taisho. We can keep ahead of their awareness.'

Sesshomaru kept his speed up, listening as his partner explained her plan while directing him down the corridors. A vicious smirk stretched his lips from beneath his helmet and he put a bit more energy to his legs. There were still two more ships, after all.

* * *

Inuyasha watched as Sesshomaru disappeared in the transporter and turned his gaze to the monitor on the wall. A rough outline of the inside of the enemy's ship popped up and the rest of the team stood to get a better look. After what looked to be a short second, the blue dot, meant to be the assassin, shot off like a rocket, zipping down the corridor and rounding a corner. In his wake, red dots began to manifest, indicating the number of enemies.

Kagura let out a low whistle, watching as the blue dot moved and aggregated the red. "Damn. Taisho's got some speed."

"Isn't the way the enemy appearing strange?" Sango asked out loud keeping her eyes on the spread of red seeping onto the tracker like drops…or ripples…

"The tracker can only pick up the enemy energy when they get agitated." Brandon answered from the doorway, hanging onto the sides to keep from falling over at every jolt. "No doubt seeing Captain Taisho just shoot past them was a surprise." The boy sounded like he was bragging and Kouga let out a snort.

'Aw, c'mon bro. You know Taisho's due the praise. You see how fast he's clearing the halls?'

'Hmph. It's not like he's taking out the enemy along the way.' Kouga sniffed, unwilling to give him an inch. Hakaku mentally rolled his eyes and focused on Kouga's fists. Or more importantly, on the capped metal he used as a weapon. 'Still think you should take a saber in as well.' He muttered quietly and Kouga scoffed.

'Nah. Got enough aggression to take it out on these assholes.'

Hakaku let out a huff of his own. 'Fine, but take one for the next ship. I would like to survive this.' Kouga grunted in reply, straightening when Brandon called to them from the transport room.

"Alright guys! It's time! Get your asses in here!"

Inuyasha laughed, stumbling into the room first as the ship rocked to the right. "Keep your language clean, junior! Cursing doesn't suit you!"

Brandon flushed in embarrassment and scowled back. "I'll tell Kaede that any wounds you receive deserve immediate attention." He threatened and Inuyasha's face went pale.

Inside, Inuyasha felt a jolt come from Kikyo and he turned his attention to her. 'What's wrong?' He asked in concern as he was jostled by Kagura as the ship rocked to the left.

'Kaede…is on the ship? _My_ Kaede?'

Inuyasha froze in confusion as the machine powered up and the transport came to life. Before he could say anything, he instinctively tensed up as they were beamed to the drop point. Taking quick stock of themselves, they immediately became aware of the way the ship felt. A slight hiss came from behind Inuyasha, and he spun around his saber already slicing through a Baasratu before he really registered it was there. Another was leaping at Sango, who had her own saber on its way to match.

'We'll talk about this later.' Inuyasha told her quietly even as Kouga's voice came through the mic in his helmet.

"Stick together and head in one direction. We can't be separated." Though his words were supposed to be sobering, the tone he used was too enthusiastic as he punched into the side of a Baasratu face, spraying the side of his helmet with green turning orange blood.

'Right. To your left, Inuyasha.' Kikyo answered, shaking off her shock. She hadn't known her little sister had transferred to her partner's ship, and she had quite a few questions.

'Calm down, Sango-love. Let the enemy come to you.' Miroku tried to soothe, but his irritation was riding high on the surface today. 'You're wasting energy pointlessly.' He pointed out, getting his emotions under control. Sango huffed as she pushed one of the Baasratu enemies off of her saber and met another with an upward strike, avoiding the red-tipped claws coming for her shoulder.

'Nice to see your head back in the game, Soryu.' She sniped back, beheading the enemy and turning to take out one aiming for Ayame's back.

Miroku winced internally, realizing he had been thinking about the confrontation with Kagome since he had linked with Sango. 'And don't tell me what I'm doing wrong. Give me direction, _partner_.' Sango continued, her emphasis on the word partner leaving no mystery behind how she was feeling.

Directing his energy up her arms, he worked at the knots accumulated at her shoulders. The shudder that went through her frame filling him with male pride. 'Two to your left and closing down the hall.' He murmured, sending a brief flick up her neck, nearly smirking when she let out a hiss.

'I take it back. I liked it better when you were distracted.' Sango snarled to him even as she turned to face the threat. Miroku really did smirk at that and allowed his energy to caress her behind. 'That's my girl.'

Sango stabbed into the last of the two, fantasizing it was a certain psychic and mentally wishing he could pick up on her imaging. 'Pervert!'

'Woo! Yeah! Whip that thang!' Ginta hooted in her head and Ayame fought the urge to grin, his enthusiasm catching. She jerked back on her whip, the metal hooks laced into the end, filled with psychic energy, tearing through tissue as the Baasratu spun to the side, losing its head in the process. Her left hand brought up a saber to deflect a close combat attack, slightly relieved when Kagura took it down with her own saber.

"Need some help?" Kagura purred to her over the mic and Ayame laughed, riding high on adrenaline and her own partner's elation. The sudden silence caught their attention as they looked around to realize the first wave had ended.

Kouga looked down to his map and pointed down the left corridor. "There is another group coming from that way, let's move to intercept them. Dancing over these bodies will be kind of ridiculous."

Rolling shoulders back and getting pumped up for the next round, they followed their leader farther down the eerie corridor.

'Your creepy silent today, Naraku.' Kagura wheedled, pretending not to care what his reason was, though really, it was unnerving. His chuckle reached her ears and she was annoyed when it caused the fine hairs on her neck to stand at attention.

'Perhaps you should pay more attention to the enemy in front of you…?' He purred, still chortling darkly.

'Instead of the one inside, you mean?' She shot back, using her own dark imitation. A pressure of energy around her neck gave Kagura the impression he was trying to choke her.

'Careful, little puppet. That almost seemed to insinuate something.' The pressure was gone and Kagura snorted in derision. Making a mental note to file for a different partner, though knowing she'd never go through with it, Kagura rolled her eyes.

'Whatever, Hadani. As long as you do your job.' The only answer she got was another dark laugh.

* * *

Sesshomaru skid around a corner, his saber long since stained a deep orange from the blood of those he couldn't avoid. The feel of the enemy's mental attack was different than the simulations, but no worse. He could block it just fine, but the way it _felt_ was strange. More grating, he supposed. Like if you pinched cotton and rubbed it between your fingers; allowing the feeling of that to build until it became excruciating agony.

'It's just ahead.'

Higurashi's whispered statement brought his attention to the fore and he rounded the last corner. It was standing in the corridor, calmly facing their direction as if patiently waiting. Its head lifted slightly and its lips pulled back from its long teeth.

"So you come…"

Both Sesshomaru and Kagome paused to hear the hissing rasp, forming words, coming from the emaciated looking Baasratu. Seeing their hesitancy, the Baasratu let out a choking laugh. "I see. You are not used to this yet." It lifted its head and the swaths of material covering it seemed to flutter. "But your other half…has a strange energy."

Sesshomaru tensed sharply and went in for the attack. The Baasratu never moved from its position, allowing Sesshomaru's saber to pierce through its chest. Grabbing ahold of Sesshomaru's arm, the Baasratu let out another garbled laugh. "Such a young race. And you know nothing."

Sesshomaru jerked his arm free, sending an arc of gore through the air and splattering the wall. The Baasratu continued to laugh as it sank to its knees and finally slumped to the ground. The disappearance of the mental attack confirming it to be dead.

'W-what…what the _hell_ …?' Higurashi croaked in his head and Sesshomaru's eye narrowed. Turning from the body, he began the run back to the drop point.

'Not our place to think on this.' He murmured, navigating the hall and taking down anything in their way. 'Yet.' He amended at the sardonic feeling he was getting from his psychic. Kagome let out a breath and turned back to concentrate on where they were going. Her thoughts kept going back to the Baasratu. During the brief interlude, it had seemed to be reaching for her with its own energy…as if coaxing her…

A shudder ran through her; Sesshomaru picked up on it and sent reassurance back.

* * *

The second and third ship went down in much the same fashion as the first, sans the strange talking Baasratu and cryptic messages. By the end of the second ship, they were definitely feeling the burn, and at the end of the third, the lot of them just wanted to sleep. Sesshomaru felt as if his head was physically split open due to the incessant mental barrage he had been under for over seven hours.

Kagome was in likewise agreement. As the left the transport room for the last time and Taisho sat heavily on the bench in the remodeled locker room, Kagome felt the pull from the other side of the link, telling her it was time to go.

'Great job today, partner.' She mumbled in exhaustion, but sent the same kind of warmth she found herself sending him lately. 'Link ya later.'

She grinned at the noncommittal grunt he answered her cheer with then gasped at the warmth he sent back to her, causing butterflies to erupt in her stomach.

'Later, Higurashi.'

It was as he was taking out his earpiece, after the link with Higurashi had closed, that the ruckus in the room was brought to his attention. Though completely tired, sore, and mildly wounded in several places, the whole team was babbling to each other about the mission in loud obnoxious tones. He blinked slowly, slightly startled that he hadn't heard them before.

Was he so in tuned and focused on Higurashi that he had drowned out his surroundings…? His brows lowered slightly as he bent to begin removing his boots, his eyes staring blankly before him. If this was what he thought this was, then he was in bigger trouble then he had previously thought.

His thoughts derailed as a body slammed into his right side, Inuyasha having been shoved by a rowdy Kouga. All commotion ceased as the silver haired captain slowly turned a frigid stare on the crumpled form of his younger half-brother. The ice hardened in his gaze as it rose to meet with Kouga's.

"If you have the energy to fool around in the locker room, then perhaps you should visit the training room before showering."

His voice was flat and sharp, making many of them gulp and look to the side. Turning back to his locker, Sesshomaru removed the rest of his gear and headed for the shower himself. Kouga avoided looking at the assassin in the eyes, but kept his shoulders back and his spine straight as he passed.

"Don't piss yourself, Wolfe." Inuyasha snickered, still lounging on the floor where he had landed. "I know your dreading another beat down from the ice-pop."

Kouga growled out and kicked Inuyasha's wounded shoulder as he passed him to get to his locker. "And I just know you can't wait to be patched up by Dr. Kaede." His snapped, mentally calling it his win, when Inuyasha's face paled dramatically.

"Oh shit. I forgot about that crazy bitch." Inuyasha muttering rising from the floor and covering the bleeding wound. "I almost miss Jakotsu…"

Kouga shuttered and pretended he never heard his name. Sango turned a raised brow to a snickering Ayame and Kagura. "What's Inuyasha's beef with Dr. Kaede?"

Ayame clutched her bruised ribs as her cackle shook her shoulders. Kagura, stifling her own laugh, brought her uninjured arm around Sango's shoulder. "Let me tell you the story of Inuyasha's Flabby Ass."

Ayame lost it, clutching her aching body and crying from a mixture of hilarity and pain. Above the laughter, came Inuyasha's indignant roar: "Oi! It's not _flabby_!"

* * *

Sesshomaru placed his hand on the bio-scanner outside the door to the cockpit, waiting for permitted access. It was granted and the door opened, allowing him to step inside and meet the absent glance shot to him from Butch.

"Good job out there, Taisho. We managed to take down our objectives faster than the other two teams." Butch's voice was deep and his chest puffed with pride. His eyes, however remained glued to the monitor projecting the battlefield in front of the resource planet.

Sesshomaru stepped up beside him, analyzing the destruction in front of him. "We lose anyone?" He asked quietly after the ships, taking note of the floating debris littering the site. Butch sighed and ran a hand through his shaggy salt-and-pepper mane.

"Yeah, _Titania_ went down an hour ago. Most of the crew got out in time, but she was a big bird to lose." Butch paused and swiped a hand over his screen, bringing up an enlarged picture of the fractured barrier visibly failing. "The last team finally took out the remaining ship, and _Armageddon_ has finished powering up. You're just in time for the fireworks."

Sesshomaru crossed his arms and leaned against the wall in the back, keeping his eyes trained on the footage in front of him. The large warship, aptly named the _Armageddon_ , was front and center of their fleet. Fitted with the only energy cannons in the western fleet, it was sparingly used. This would be the first time Sesshomaru had actually heard of it being used, let alone seeing it in action.

A faint flicker of light danced in front of the ship, and Sesshomaru thought he was imagining it, until an array of blinding blue beams shot out in different directions, colliding with the center of the enemy fleet. Nothing seemed to happen for a split second, and then several ships, more importantly each of the large enemy warships, seemed to fracture and then explode.

A grim satisfaction coiled through the room as both pilot and assassin silently watched the ships continue to break apart and explode. Many of the enemy's smaller ships had already turned to flee the battle, and Sesshomaru took note of the two second largest warships from the west moving in to take out the rest.

"Seems we won't be needed after all." Butch broke the silence, turning to give a half-smirk to the stoic captain. "You should go get some shut-eye. You look dead on your feet."

Closing his eyes and giving a small nod in acknowledgement, Sesshomaru turned from the battle and headed out the door. The pilot was right, he felt drained to the marrow of his bones. Their first mission in their new designation had been the biggest mission in over twenty years. He allowed pride in himself and his team to infuse him with the energy he needed to get back to his room and collapse on his bed.

The last thing he thought about before allowing himself to drop off, was the feelings his partner always seemed to invoke in him. For sure, he was in deep.

* * *

Kagome stood under the hot spray from the shower head, and luxuriated in the liquid warmth that pour over her shaky limbs. Okay, so she was taking her time in the shower in a bid to avoid having to run into Miroku. So sue her.

Truly, with the crazy and somewhat scary mission she had just embarked on, she had completely forgotten about Miroku accosting her before they had linked. Climbing out of her pod, still holding close the butterflies she had gotten from the strange, caress-like wave she had received from Taisho, her good feelings had crashed when she had sighted Miroku's piercing gaze. Though interrupted by a flurry of bodies helping them out of their pods and directing others in, Miroku had always returned his stare to her.

She had hightailed it into the female locker room as fast as her weakened limbs would allow her. Earning her confused and concerned looks from Mei, who had been the one helping her out of the pod. Though not questioning the rushing psychic, Mei had tightened her grip on her and sped up the pace a bit.

"Don't know why we're running, but from the look on Soryu's face, I wouldn't want to be around that either." Mei muttered, stumbling slightly with Kagome when her knee went out on her.

Kagome giggled nervously when they straightened and urged the tech faster. "Hehe. Yeah." She paused as they reached the doors to the showers. "No clue what his problem is." She muttered a little darkly and Mei shot her another concerned glance.

"From what Wallace was going on about, it sounds like he got jealous. You get a boyfriend or something?"

Kagome had faulted comically and spun to face the tech. " _What_?!"

Mei had shrugged and reached out to help the gaping psychic to the bench. "Yeah Wallace said she overheard Soryu going on about something being a bad idea and the fact that he had you pinned to the linking pod…" She trailed off and shrugged, watching the interesting and various expressions crossing Kagome's face.

"Ugh. That's not what that was." Kagome managed to get out and Mei shrugged.

"Good luck getting your denial to stick. Wallace must have told like…thirty techs the same story today. Your prime gossip right now, chika."

Kagome groaned and slowly stripped off her suit, allowing the tech to look her over for bruising. "Oh god. That's all I need right now."

Which lead to her now procrastinating in the showers, just knowing that he'd be out there waiting. With a sigh of resignation, she straightened from her slump and turned off the shower. A fresh set of regulated sweats was on the bench when she came out, and Kagome sent a silent thank you to Mei. The doors to the locker room opened and, just as she had figured, Miroku was leaning on the wall opposite the door.

His gaze locked with hers and he raised an eyebrow. "I won't let you escape from this conversation this time, Kagome."

Kagome allowed her indignation to rise up for a moment then let it go in her exhaustion. "Yeah, yeah. Ok. Let's get treated at med-bay and then find somewhere with food and coffee. We can talk all you want then."

And the first question she was going to ask was: What in hell made him think that any of this was _any_ of his business? The bullshit about it being because they were friends definitely didn't fly for her either. What _exactly_ was going _on_ with her friend?

* * *

"We're sorry for the delay, ladies and gentlemen. The shuttles have been stopped due to military operations. We thank you for your understanding and hope you bear with us as we try to get things going as soon as possible." The same message had been repeated for hours, and she found herself gritting her teeth the more it was repeated.

She was still a couple days from her goal, and her supply was running dangerously low. She had already gotten in contact with a dealer in the western fleet. Her shipment should arrive the same day as she herself would.

A loud noise to her right had her snapping her head up to see an overly large woman apologizing as she bent to pick up the luggage she had dropped. She turned her head from the woman, making a small hum of acknowledgement and hoping the woman would move on. To her chagrin, the woman settled in right next to her.

"Phew! Talk about a let-down!" The woman exclaimed in over exaggeration, fanning her damp face with some sort of fan.

She lifted her thumb to her lips and bit down on the ragged nail as a barrage of the woman's thoughts pierced her head.

 _'_ _-don't know why I let Edgar talk me into these horrid vacations! Man ignored me the whole time! Hmph, next time, I'll max out his credit. See how he likes them apples!'_

She mentally cursed when the woman turned her attention onto her.

 _'_ _Poor girl shaking like a leaf! Must be scared of the military operations. Judging by her clothes I'd say she doesn't travel much.'_

 _'_ _-gonna be late! Dammit! I cannot afford to be late again! Gonna be fired!'_

 _'_ _I wonder if we're gonna have to sleep here tonight. That'd suck-'_

 _'_ _-should have just asked Ronda to record the damn thing. Now I'll never see-'_

The barrage of mental trash, as she had started to call it, from those milling around her, had her hunching her shoulders and tearing into her thumb, desperate to take her mind off the echo's she was receiving from anyone around her.

"You ok, hun? You're shaking like a leaf! Are you nervous?"

Her head shot up with a snap once more, startled at a voice coming to her from outside her head. The woman's face, creased in polite concern, stiffened into something more along the lines of horror. "Oh…dear! Your nose is fairly gushing blood!"

Her loud voice carried and she was irritated to realize that everyone was now staring at her. Cupping a hand over her nose, ignoring the familiar feel of sticky warmth, she stood abruptly and headed for the sign indicating the bathroom.

The woman left behind giggled nervously as all eyes watching the hooded girl switched to staring at her. "She's nervous." She explained needlessly and everyone went back to doing what they were doing.

xXx

So, I cannot tell you guys how many times I just wanted to write: "So they went in, killed some things, blew shit up and captured the resource planet. Tadaa!" Yeah…

I really struggle when it comes to the action scenes in this story, always have. That's why I went and challenged myself to write this story the way I have. I hope I don't disappoint!

Thank you all very much for your support and your wonderful reviews!


	18. Chapter 18

Chapter Eighteen

"So, are you going to tell me what's wrong with you, now, or am I going to have to guess?" Kagome asked as she took a sip of the freshly brewed coffee. Across from her, Miroku scowled down at his tea.

"Dammit, Kagome." He started, taking a quick look around the deserted food court. The majority of the ship was still in the grips of the military operation. Even a few of the shops had closed because there was no one to run them. "An assassin's link? Are you out of your mind?!"

Kagome took another sip of her coffee, furrowing her brows at her friend's furious whisper. "What exactly are you so keyed up about?" She set her coffee cup down gently and crossed her arms over the table, ignoring the gauze pulling from the bruise on her forearm. "Aren't you the one to suggest to Hojo that I step in for him?"

Miroku jerked back a bit, remembering that it had been him, and _not_ Hojo, that had made the initial suggestion to Wallace. "Yeah, for a week sub-in. And how was I to know that you'd sign on for longer? And to be an assassin's link, at that!?" He hissed allowing a bit of his truth to come out with his lies.

"It was my decision, Miroku." Kagome stated as she observed the complex emotions that flitted across his face. "If it's because you feel guilty, or responsible because of the Hojo-thing, then don't worry about it. I wasn't forced to sign on. As a matter of fact, they had a hard time bribing me to do it."

Miroku let out a frustrated sigh and took a sip of his tea, grimacing when he realized he had put too much sugar in. Truthfully, he was angry at the situation. She wasn't supposed to be thrust head-long into the fore of the danger. Get stronger, sure, but not so blatantly in the eyes of the enemy. Or at least that was what he had thought.

Staring down at his hands tightening around the teacup, Miroku came to some dark conclusions that he found he really wasn't liking. A delicate hand settled over his wrist, and Miroku's eyes came up to be met with the quirked brows and sunny smile of the first person he had come to care for in quite a while. How was he going to protect her if she was so far into the fire?

"It's not your job to protect me, Miroku." Kagome answered the question he hadn't realized he had spoken out loud. "That's Taisho's job."

Miroku caught the flush spreading over her cheeks and narrowed his eyes. What was this? As he stared, Kagome's cheeks continued to darken and she turned a flustered gaze to the table, pulling her hand back from him.

"You like him." He stated accusatorily and Kagome scowled back. "That's why you're doing this?"

"No! I…" Kagome trailed off, thinking about it herself. It was true she had enjoyed battle-linking in school, but that hadn't been the reason she had decided to stay. It was because Taisho had said he needed her. "Well…maybe."

Miroku groaned and put his head into his hands. "Kagome…"

"It doesn't change anything though, Miroku. I won't quit just because of your misplaced sense of responsibility." Kagome continued archly, still scowling at the other psychic. "My decisions are my own, and no one else's."

"Alright, alright." Miroku conceded, a knot of fear still sitting in his gut. "You win. Just…be careful." He hid his uncertainty behind a rueful grin and downed the last of his overly sweet tea. "Now, come on. Let's get some food before the cafeteria fills up with the rest of the ship."

He'd have to talk to Mushin about his thoughts later.

* * *

Sesshomaru stared at the report he had just written in contemplation. His eyes running over the same line: _During the verbal confrontation with the enemy, mention of Higurashi's energy being of interest to said enemy was made known._ His hand hovered over his screen, his eyebrows drawn over the indecision he was plagued with.

Though he hadn't exchanged words with the Baasratu, what the being had said still reverberated within his mind. The way it hadn't attacked, and had even pushed his saber further into its chest…what was this unsettling feeling? No one could claim to know the true thoughts and motivations of the alien race. They weren't human, after all.

Its actions during the battle, however, felt like it was attempting to bridge the human-alien distinction. Why? For what purpose? His eyes read the same line over once more. And why did he have the overwhelming urge to pretend it hadn't mentioned Higurashi at all? His instincts had never lead him astray before, but was this his battle-honed senses, or the burgeoning feelings of possession he was steadily developing when it came to his psychic partner?

He let his hand fall from the typed line and instead swiped it over the send icon. Regardless of his unease, he decided that come what may, he would protect Higurashi.

* * *

Inu no Taisho studied the reports he was being sent from those in command of the warships he had sent out. The most recent report came with pictures and evidence that the traitor had, again, been in communication with those in the enemy barricade. Though he wasn't sure exactly what was being communicated, seeing as it would have been impossible for any military secrets, concerning the acquisition of the resource planet, to have been exposed.

There wouldn't have been anything to expose. Unless this tied in with the use of his assassins in the attack. The reports from two of the assassins had already been processed and a copy sent his way. They were still waiting on Sesshomaru's report, however from what he had already read, it all seemed to be cut and dry. A usual assassination mission followed by clean-up. The fact that Sesshomaru, a ridiculously prompt individual, had not yet submitted his report had Inu no Taisho sitting back in tense contemplation.

From the time the council had notified him of the location of the resource planet, up until this very moment, his instincts had been sitting at attention, keeping him from getting any kind of sleep. He had chalked it up to the importance of their find, but perhaps the recent suspicious activity of the council was playing a larger part in this then he had thought.

A chime sounded from his screen, and he absently swiped the acceptance icon, still deep in thought. When there wasn't any immediate sound, Inu no Taisho focused on his screen to take in the raised brow of his second in command.

"Myouga."

"Commander." The elderly senator, brow still raised tilted his head slightly. "You were light-years away, my lord. What troubles you?"

Inu no Taisho snorted at the use of "my lord" and rolled his shoulders back, settling into his chair. "The usual council business. What news do you have?"

Myouga Tanaka sat forward, lacing his fingers together atop the desk his screen no doubt sat on. "The labs have come back with confirmation that it is, indeed, the same mimicry energy used previously." He trailed off faintly, staring hard at his fingers.

"But?" Inu no Taisho lead out, narrowing his eyes at his old friend's fidgeting.

"We do not have the…means…to decipher exactly how it was created, let alone what it's supposed to communicate." Myouga raised his gaze timidly to meet with an annoyed pointed stare. "Uh, but, we do know of someone who is a lead researcher in these kinds of things! We were hoping to get permission to bring him on board the investigation!"

"Who?"

"Ah, a Dr. Hadani. Naraku Hadani."

"Fine. Send out the appropriate reports." Inu no Taisho frowned thoughtfully, trying to recall exactly where he had heard the name before. "And, Myouga? Keep those in the know to a minimum. It wouldn't be good if the council caught wind of our own separate investigation."

"Of course, Commander!" Myouga chirped back, smiling in an overly bright way.

Inu no Taisho rubbed at his temples as he closed out of the communications line. Still trying to recall where he had heard the name Hadani, his screen chimed once more.

"Never a dull moment." He muttered as he accepted the call.

"Sir! I have received Captain Taisho's report, sir!"

Inu no Taisho stared blankly at the nervous face of the officer on his screen. "And you felt it pertinent to call my office directly to tell me this?"

"Uh, well…I think you should take a look at it immediately, sir."

His eyebrow hitching higher, Inu no Taisho let out a sigh. "Then send it on through. You've sent enough today alone to know the proper procedure for the reports." He leaned forward to cut off the line but hesitated over the panicked words coming from his subordinate.

"Sir! I don't think this should travel over the usual lines!"

Sitting back, he met the nervous gaze of the soldier once more. The hairs on the back of his neck were standing on end as he realized the nerves in his gut were telling him this was what he had been waiting for all day. "Send it through this line, then. Have you made a copy?"

"No, sir. It was sent in not too long ago, and I thought it was best to inform you right away."

Inu no Taisho nodded as he sent a secure line to the officer. "If that's all?"

The officer saluted, his shoulders drooping in relief as the call was ended. A few minutes later, the report was on his screen. Inu no Taisho read it over slowly, his eyes narrowed as he took in each detail. At the end he sat back in his chair and stared absently at the far wall. It looked like Higurashi was turning out to be far more interesting than he had previously thought.

* * *

A loud banging on her door had Kagome sitting up in panicked confusion. Fumbling for the sensor by her nightstand, she flipped on her lights as she fell out of bed. Raking her tousled hair from her face, she scowled as she opened her door to face whoever was the cause of the racket. She blinked at the sight of Micah standing on the other side with a flushed face and a shit-eating grin.

"Ah, sorry! I didn't know you'd be sleeping! Hurry and get dressed! The meeting is going to start in like, ten minutes!"

Kagome let out a sigh and scrubbed at her sleep-crusted eyes in exasperation. "What are you talking about? What meeting?"

Micah laughed as she pushed the crabby younger girl back into her room and over to her bathroom. "Go comb your hair, I'll pick out your clothes."

Kagome grumbled at the manhandling, but went to brush her hair anyway.

"The meeting about the resource planet, remember?" Micah finally answered as she opened the psychic's closet and tutted at the lack of choice in clothing. "Jeez. Don't you have anything besides work clothes?"

"I didn't see the point. I'm always in the lab, anyway." Kagome got out as she washed her face and took the clothes proffered by her fellow botanist. "And what meeting about the resource planet?"

Micah shook her head and sat down on Kagome's rumpled bed. "I take it you've been crashed for a while, then?" At Kagome's blank look she continued. "We got a message about five hours ago that all of us in botanical research were to come together for a meeting as to the acquisition of the resources and planning out what to do afterwards."

"What to do afterwards? What do you mean?"

It was Micah's turn to stare blankly until understanding dawned. "Oh, right. You haven't experienced work with a resource planet before. I keep forgetting how young you are."

Kagome raised a brow even as she pulled a new shirt over her head. "Are you saying I look old?" The irritation in her voice had Micah grinning and rising up from the bed.

"Well, you do have these wrinkles…" She trailed off as Kagome squealed in indignation and shoved her towards the door.

"I don't have wrinkles! That's your reflection, not mine!"

"I just meant it feels like you've been working here forever." Micah laughed as they both stumbled out of the psychic's room and Kagome locked the panel behind them.

"Yeah, yeah. Where's this meeting taking place?"

"In the lecture hall. We have assigned seats and everything." Micah explained as Kagome took out her screen and read over the message she had received while she had been sleeping.

Ten minutes later found the both of them entering the large doors to the lecture hall. Circular in shape, the hall was designed for large-scale meetings and during academic events, such as a breakthrough in research. Long tables circled around the lowered middle in a staggered effect, forming fifty concentric rows. At each seat on each table was a small microphone, set up before the meeting was to take place.

Kagome felt her palms sweat as she took note of the number of people filing into the hall. Micah nudged her shoulder with her own and wordlessly directed her to the lower rows, closer to the center. "You're in the first row." She whispered to her and then descended herself, stopped at the fifth row to the bottom.

Taking a deep breath, Kagome walked down the stairs carefully and looked to find the placard bearing her name. She was twelve seats in when she spotted the _K. Higurashi_ and quickly took her seat. She absently ran a hand through her wavy hair as she glanced around the rapidly filling hall.

"How's your arm?"

Kagome's head whipped to her left, catching sight of Maria Anderson, head of the botanical research department. The look on her face must have told her of her confusion, because Anderson laughed as she sat in the seat next to her. "It's wrapped in gauze and due to the fact that you are a battle-link that participated in the battle for the resource planet…I can connect the dots."

Kagome felt a flush of embarrassment creep up her face and she ducked her head. "Sorry! I didn't know I'd be sitting next to you! It caught me off guard." Kagome explained glancing to the woman she had only met one other time: when she had first been hired on.

Anderson met her glance with an easy smile and a raised brow. "Sucks having to sit next to the head bitch, huh?"

Kagome jerked back, looking shocked. "Ah, what?"

Anderson laughed at her reaction and put her head in her hand, elbow resting on the curved table in front of them. "I'm not ignorant to the things being said about me behind my back."

While Kagome floundered around for a bit, trying to find something more intelligent to say than the sounds working their way up her throat, Anderson narrowed her eyes and continued. "The path to the top is littered with thorns. It's impossible to keep your hands clean on the way. Rumors and hearsay are to be expected. Especially from those bumped from the ladder."

Kagome solemnly took in the older woman's words, staring her in the eye the whole time. "Is there a reason you're telling me this, Dr. Anderson?"

Anderson's sharp smile eased into something softer, and her tense posture relaxed a bit. "You have the makings of a great botanical researcher. Just a fair warning of what to expect."

Kagome's mouth turned down at the corners, not exactly a frown but close enough. Anderson lifted a brow and tilted her head to the side.

"I take it you haven't read the report on the plant you've put in the chambers?" At Kagome's furrowed brow, the smile on Anderson's face grew. "She's blooming. Two of the buds have grown into huge purple flowers. After the meeting, you should go down and check for yourself." She paused as Kagome let out a strangled sound and covered her mouth with both hands at the looks they were getting. "And, Higurashi. Excellent work, congratulations."

Anderson turned her attention to the front, but Kagome found it difficult to think past the storm in her head. Her baby had bloomed! There were flowers! …and Anderson had been the first to tell her…? Taking out her screen, she pulled up the folder all her reports were sent to. The only thing new in it had been the message about the meeting. Why hadn't Micah sent her a report?

The lights dimmed slightly and all conversation hushed as a bunch of projectors flared to life in the center. Deciding to question her fellow researcher, and examine her baby for herself later; Kagome turned her full attention to the meeting ahead.

"Good evening, ladies and gentlemen! Thank you all so much for coming!"

Kagome shuddered, recognizing the voice from personal experience in the past. Standing before them was the holo-form of the face of the council. His name flared at the bottom of the projected image and Kagome felt she would still rather refer to him as "Mr. Face" than "Mr. Holton".

"As if we wouldn't have." Kagome heard Anderson mutter and she glanced at the older woman from the corner of her eye. "Who in their right mind would miss out on the chance to influence the decisions regarding the resource planet?"

Kagome snorted softly, finding herself mentally agreeing with her superior's words. Her attention returned to the floor when another projected image appeared next to the face of the council. Anderson leaned over slightly, whispering to her. "That's the head of the researcher's on the _Amalla_. No doubt representing those assembled in his own lecture hall."

"Are you representing us?" Kagome whispered back taking in the man's stoic expression and aged appearance. Anderson laughed softly, shaking her head.

"No. Those that come forward to speak will be projected to the other ships listening in on the discussion. Ultimately, it is those of us on Eden that will pass judgement on actions regarding the resource planet. We are the central hub, after all. The representatives will be the voice of those that express concerns or opinions from elsewhere."

"That seems sort of one-sided. A little unfair." Kagome murmured, watching as over a dozen other holo-images were projected. Anderson chuckled and shook her head again.

"Not really. Those of us with the talent and knowledge of terraforming and extraction of resources are gathered here on Eden. All of our field's top researchers work here. Why wouldn't we have the final say on anything of that nature?" She took a breath and looked over the images appearing before them as well.

"Of course, the council will be notified of how we have decided to proceed and the representatives are here to make sure everyone has a chance to voice their opinions. It's not like this is a dictatorship."

Kagome hummed noncommittedly and settled her head into her own palm, her nerves settling now that she kind of understood what was going on. It wasn't like she herself was going to participate in the discussion. It was the first time she had ever been to something like this, so she felt it would be better to just observe.

Mr. Face, as if receiving some sort of silent cue, loudly began a summary of the battle as well as the basic findings concerning the resource planet they had fought to procure. Kagome listened with half an ear as he went on embellishing the battle, moving his arms about as if he were there shooting down the Baasratu himself. She perked up slightly as he moved on to talk about the planet itself.

"It was reported that the planet is roughly four times the size of our missing Earth. The gravity has three times the density as well, meaning it would be impossible for us to walk on the surface ourselves." Disappointed sighs and groans echoed throughout the hall, and due to the looks a few of the representatives had, Kagome could bet the other ships listening in felt the same.

"Not that the gravity is the only thing stopping us from landing on the planet ourselves. While there is oxygen in its atmosphere, the air would be entirely too toxic for us to breathe."

"Are there lifeforms on this planet?" One of the representatives cut in, looking annoyed with the pace of the report.

"Ah," Mr. Face shuffled some papers before continuing. "Yes, but they are all lower…um…paramecium and stuff." He was clearly knocked off his game, if the way he was rifling through his report said anything. "All microscopic lifeform…thingies. Nothing with intelligence, anyway."

Kagome let out a small sigh at the man's fumbling and glanced over to see Anderson putting her head into her hands. "Who made this guy the one in charge of this meeting?" She quietly moaned out and Kagome covered her mouth to stifle a giggle.

"How is the consistency of the surface of the planet? We have received the report on the components of the atmosphere, but I haven't read anything about the land or water on the planet. If there is any." A representative called out, causing another shuffle of papers and more stumbling mutters from Mr. Face.

"The report I've received stated that there are several large bodies of water on the planet and that extraction should go smoothly. The land itself is made of hard material. Rock and, in some locations, mineral deposits not unlike metal. The exact composition hasn't been confirmed yet."

"Have we readied the ships for extraction? Exactly when will this be put into motion?"

"The ships have been readied and the orders to move out given. We begin the extraction operations as soon as this meeting has ended." A man from across the room, also in the first row, stated with authority into his microphone. Anderson leaned over to whisper to Kagome once more.

"That's Casoway. He's in charge of the R&D division on Eden. His is also head scientist in extraction."

Kagome nodded absently as the researchers and botanists continued to share information and ask questions. Leaving Mr. Face gawking awkwardly at the flow of the conversation around him.

"Well, we know what and how much to extract, keeping the planet's ecosystem intact. What do we plan to do after we get what we need? Are we just going to leave it behind like we have all the others?"

The question came from a particularly old woman projected as a representative. The silence following her questions rang in Kagome's ears for the three seconds it lasted before voices from all directions were speaking at once. Some shouting to be heard over others. Anderson sighed and leaned her head on the table. "And thus we reach what everyone really wanted to talk about."

The volume of the room rose steadily, and Kagome had to cover her ears as two men behind her had risen from their seats and leaned forward, shouting towards someone else at the other side of the room. She couldn't even make heads or tails of what they were shouting, it was so loud.

"That is quite enough!"

A voice boomed loud enough for Kagome to feel it in her chest and the chaotic room dropped into stillness. Kagome's eyes shifted the image that had quieted the hall, finding it to be the first representative from the _Amalla_. His eyes stared straight ahead, before shifting to something at the right.

"Dr. Anderson. You are head of Botany and Terraforming. What are your opinions on the matter?"

The room was dead silent and Kagome noticed a small blue light come on at the base of Anderson's microphone. She was now being projected to the other ships. Anderson waited a moment, looking the epitome of cool and collected.

"Frankly, I think it would be a waste of our time trying to cultivate something on this planet." She paused, reading the reactions from those within the room. "We all know what has happened in the past when we have attempted to keep a resource planet for our own. Within days of our fleets leaving the vicinity of the planets we have attempted to colonize, our enemy swoops in from behind to destroy whatever and whoever we leave behind. Unless we official decide to make a planet our new home planet, the same pattern will repeat."

Quiet mutterings fill the hall and Kagome found herself taking in her superior's words. A new understanding dawned on her as she thought back on all the times she had heard about resource gathering.

"If you are asking me if this planet would be something suitable to colonize, whether temporarily or permanently, then I would have to say it wouldn't be worth it. We can't even walk on its surface due to the gravity, what would be the point in cultivating life on it? In my opinion, it would be best to take what we need from it safely and then move on."

The representative nodded his head, the look on his face telling Kagome he had drawn the same conclusions. "Is there anyone else of a different opinion? Speak now, or regret it later."

There was more muttering heard around the room, but no one stepped forward to oppose. Kagome relaxed slightly when the light on Anderson's microphone went off, turning to look at the woman herself. "Do you think we'd ever permanently colonize a planet?"

Anderson turned to study the young psychic seated beside her. "We'd have to give up hope on finding Earth before we'd decided to properly colonize another planet. And I don't see us losing hope anytime soon."

Kagome looked down at the table before her, feeling the weight of Anderson's words settle in her stomach. To claim another planet, they'd have to give up Earth, huh? Looking about the room at all the resolute faces seated behind the tables, Kagome had to agree. Losing hope and giving up Earth meant they had lost. Admitting they had been defeated by the Baasratu was not something the human race could swallow. They were, after all, a stubborn race.

* * *

Kouga sat in the communications room, staring at the resource screen before him in consternation. His search had been narrowed down to fifty people in the Northern Fleet. Of those fifty people, eight of them did not have a picture. Separating those eight from the other forty-two, he began looking through their profiles, his impatience growing with every picture of a Yumi that did not match his memory.

Who knew finding the woman of your dreams could be so hard?!

Getting to the last of the pictured forty-two, and still not finding a match, Kouga save the un-pictured eight and closed out of the screen. He got up from his chair slowly, fighting the urge to toss it and the screen across the room to relieve his frustration.

"Why are _you_ in here?!"

Kouga looked over to see Inuyasha staring at him in a suspicious manner. Lips cocking up in a sneer, Kouga gave the slightly younger male a look up and down. "What are you coming in here for? Last I checked the mess hall was in the opposite direction."

"Keh. You're one to talk! You aren't smart enough to have the thought to look stuff up!"

"You think your any better, mutt?!"

Before the shouting could escalate into another pointless brawl, Sango pushed Inuyasha to the side and out of the doorway. "Can't you guys just go beat each other up in the training rooms?"

Inuyasha muttered something under his breath that had Sango elbowing him in the solar plexus. "Just _go,_ Inuyasha!" She growled back and watched the younger Taisho toss his hands in the air and storm from the room. She turned back to a disappointed Kouga. "Why _are_ you in here?"

At the question from one of his main obstacles, Kouga felt a triumphant grin stretch his face, even if today's search had mostly been a failure.

"Ha! You thought you could keep Yumi from me! But, I'll show you I can get my woman without your help!" With this parting shot and a rather cheeky grin, Kouga marched from the room, leaving a bewildered Sango behind him.

"Who the hell is Yumi?!"

* * *

Kaede hung her head, meeting her sister's narrowed gaze through the fringe she had allowed loose from her ponytail.

"You didn't tell me."

It was a simple sentence, but the accusation, the _hurt_ in the words had her flinching. "Because I _knew_ you'd react this way!"

"Does Grandmother know?"

Kaede scoffed, settling back from the desk her screen was propped on and crossing her arms over her chest. "I don't talk to that old lady."

"Kaede! She is our grandmother! She deserves our respect."

"Whatever."

Kikyo frowned slightly, her eyebrows lowered as she studied her younger sister's sullen expression and rebellious posture. "Does she even know you're a medic?"

Kaede glanced up from glaring holes into the desk, telling herself not to flinch at the sight of Kikyo's defeated and tired gaze. "No. Not like she much cares what I'm doing. As long as I don't bring any trouble, right?"

"Kaede…" Kikyo sighed, bringing a hand up to her temple, already knowing where the argument was headed. She opened her mouth to say what she always did; that Grandmother was simply worried for their future, and she really did care! Her eyes met with Kaede's and neither could hide the bruised emotions from the other.

"Just…be careful, Kaede." Kikyo said on a deep sigh, trying to transmit the worry and love she felt for her.

Kaede looked away, determined not to cry. A thought came to her as she cast about for something to change the topic. "You still haven't called Kagome-chan?"

It was Kikyo's turn to flinch back and divert her gaze from Kaede's. "I…I've been busy."

Kaede snorted looking away from Kikyo as well, hating to see the way she slumped her shoulders at the mention of their cousin.

"How long are you going to let that old woman dictate your life, Kikyo-nee?"

The silence hung between them for a while, neither able to look at the other.

"We owe a lot to Grandmother." Kikyo finally answered, gritting her teeth on the words she had repeated to herself like a mantra in her young years.

Kaede snorted softly, not in the mood to fight over it again. "Well, I got to go. I have a bunch of medical reports to submit and two of the crew members still need an exam."

Kikyo smiled softly to hide the hurt Kaede's obvious dismissal caused. "Alright. I'll call you later."

Kaede gave a brisk nod and a brief smile, hiding her own hurt. "Yeah, love you, Kikyo-nee."

"Love you too, Kaede."

The line cut off and Kaede let out a long breath as she settled into her office chair. She should have known Inuyasha would spill the beans to her sister.

"Idiot."

She sniffed as she got up from the chair and went on a hunt for their ship's navigator and pilot. If those two thought they were lucky enough to not be included in her exam, they had another think coming.

* * *

The shuttle gave another shuddering rock as she sat huddled in the bathroom she had escaped to earlier. She had used one of the last of her pills two hours ago and the shakes were starting to be noticeable again. The mental barrage of useless thoughts from the other passengers could no longer be held at bay and she idly wondered if she was deteriorating faster than had previously been calculated.

Her emotions were riding a rollercoaster as well. Panic and rage were battling out for control and she was slightly scared over which one would win. The slightest movement from the man that had been sitting beside her had made her want to pull out the small pocket knife in her jacket pocket and slice his neck open. Knowing it would be counter-productive to be caught and arrested when she was _so_ _close_ , she had retreated to the bathroom at the back.

A violent tremor worked its way up her spine and through her arms. Her teeth chattered slightly before she clamped her jaw shut tight. Her eyes screwed shut as another followed in its wake, causing bile to come up her throat and coat her mouth. Her eyes snapped open; she needed to throw up. Hurriedly crawling over to the toilet, as fast as her shaky limbs would allow, she ignored the sting she felt from her hands and knees as they slapped awkwardly on the pseudo-marble floor.

She barely got the lid open before her head was hanging over and her stomach was emptying itself for the third time in as many hours. The tremors tracing up her spine grew in intensity and she found it hard to concentrate on holding herself over the toilet, even as she continued to heave.

In what felt like an eternity, the tremors stopped and she groaned, opening her eyes to realize that at some point she had collapsed at the base of the toilet. Long strings of mucus and red-speckled bile streamed from her mouth to the small puddles on the floor.

Rising to her hands in knees, feeling weaker then she had ever felt, she pulled herself over to the stall's wall, leaning her back against it. She reached into her pocket with trembling hands and pulled out the small container holding her last pill. She was supposed to have been fine until they had docked at Eden, but the last pill had only managed to tide her over for two hours.

If she took it now, there was a chance she would lose it when they docked. She felt another tremor starting up and allowed her fear to make the decision for her. Throwing the pill to the back of her throat, she swallowed it dry, wincing at the feeling of it scraping her abused esophagus. Her tired eyes wandered to the sink, debating whether or not she could stand to get a drink of water.

The mere thought of standing had her head lulling back against the wall. The tremor was easing, so the pill was already taking effect. She would attempt to stand in a while. Her eyes drifted down to her jacket pocket and she pulled out the small bit-screen she had started taking with her everywhere. Sliding her thumb over the verification she sighed as the familiar dossier came up.

At the end of the brief profile was a picture she had come to stare at, nearly obsessively. It was a candid shot of a young woman with raven hair and laughing blue eyes.

 _'_ _I'm coming, Kagome-chan. We'll be meeting real soon.'_

xXx

Ah, sorry this is so late folks. I had to rewrite this thing A LOT. Too much research and it was looking more like a science report written for a theology class than an actual fanfic chapter. Why couldn't I have been this motivated in high school…?

Anyway, thank you for reading and as always please review!


	19. Chapter 19

Chapter Nineteen

Ginta growled unintelligibly under his breath as he stalked along the corridor, clutching his work-use screen in one hand. Those that passed him by, glanced to him once and quickly looked away. His eyes shot to the report on the screen that had him in such a tizzy.

"Stupid, creepy, sadistic…bastard!" He ground out between clenched teeth, scowling at whoever happened to meet his eyes. Turning a corner, his eyes narrowed as he realized he was finally in the sector said bastard's office was located. Glaring at each name plate hung on the walls, he stopped as he reached a certain door.

 _N. Hadani_

He placed his hand on the bio-scanner and his mood darkened when the rejection noticed flashed by his fingers. Raising a fist, he pounded on the locked door.

"I know you're in there, Hadani! Open up!"

When there was no immediate response, he raised his fist once again. Before it had the chance to strike, the door slid open and he was met with a raised brow.

"Is there something I can help you with, Kaiyo?" Naraku asked lazily, eyeing the fist Ginta still held aloft.

Ginta sneered and pushed past the other psychic. His eyes glanced around the near empty office, taking note of a box packed with miscellaneous items. "Going somewhere?"

Naraku, brow still raised though his expression was darker than before, turned to follow Ginta's gaze. "Yes. I have been temporarily reassigned. Though, that's hardly any of your business."

"It is if you plan to jump ship before signing off on these reports."

A lazy smirk curled his lips as he watched the agitation broil off of the R&D psychic he had come to work with while on the _Poseidon_. "Reports?"

Ginta turned to face the smirking scientist and shook the screen at him. "Yeah! The reports on the newest equipment you were so fascinated with! You know, the stuff you had me build to torture the freaking Baasratu?!"

Naraku, smirk still in place, leaned against the wall beside his office door. "If I recall, Kaiyo, you were more than eager to build said 'torture stuff'."

Ginta scowled and thrust the work screen at him, holding out a stylus with his other hand. "Your signature, Hadani."

Letting out a sigh, now that their verbal match was over, Naraku deftly scrawled his signature over the bottom of the report he had submitted to R&D. "Can't get government approval without it." He lightly taunted as he handed the screen back to him.

Ginta scoffed and swiped the report to officially send it in. "Can't get _paid_ without it. The government already signed off on production. Your report was the only thing holding back the money." The scowl on his face lessened in severity now that he was assured a paycheck. He looked to the box on the desk and crossed his arms over his chest.

"Reassignment? To where?"

Naraku allowed the smirk on his face to drop and his expression to become something more neutral. "As I said: _temporary_. And it's none of your business where and for what. If that's all you needed, then you can leave, Kaiyo."

Ginta shrugged and headed for the door, his dark mood nearly evaporated with the signature and a confirmation that the creepy bastard was leaving. "Well, see ya, Hadani."

Naraku chuckled at how easy the other psychic was to read. "Don't get too comfortable, Kaiyo. I'll be back within the month."

He watched as Ginta scowled over his shoulder and the door slid closed behind him. Turning back to his desk, he opened up the last drawer he had to clean out. Just as he was setting the last of his things in the box, his personal screen chimed. 'Ah. The debate between the Eastern candidates is starting.' He thought with glee as he pulled the screen over to himself and opened the live feed. 'I do so love politics.'

* * *

"Senator Keegan. That does not explain why you _didn't_ follow your own policy in regards to the distribution of resources in the past."

The question aimed at her opposition from the moderator stressed the key words she had hoped it would and her confidence took another boost at the short silence from the senator. Though she was definitely in top form, and more than likely killing the debate, Adriana Cortez couldn't seem to shake the nervous feeling she got whenever she looked at the calm visage of Senator James Keegan.

Throughout the entirety of the debate, he had never once shown an overly emotional reaction to any of the questions and rebuttals thrown at him. A faint smile played at the edges of his mouth and the sheer amount of confidence he exuded intimidated the moderators asking the questions.

It was getting up on the time for the both of them to ask their own questions to each other and Adriana's palms were starting to sweat. Her team hadn't been able to find near the amount of dirt on the senator as she would have liked. It seemed all his skeletons were already in full view of the public. Or so it seemed. There was no way a senator of his stature was as squeaky clean as he appeared, but her campaign manager hadn't been able to dig up anything substantial in the time they had to gather information.

"…Councilor Cortez?"

Adriana blinked at her name and met the eyes of the moderator. Slightly embarrassed she had been lost in thought for the few minutes it took Senator Keegan to answer the inquiry, she politely smiled to play it off. Judging by the time and the expectant looks coming from the staff in front of her, they had just asked if she was ready to start the next round. "Yes, of course."

"Excellent! By rights, Keegan has asked to go first."

Adriana worked to brighten the faint smile on her face as she turned to face the senator. The composed smile on his own face made her feel like an underdeveloped child. "Fire away, senator." She boldly started, going for confidence and friendly rivalry.

Before the senator had the chance to respond, a man behind him leaned forward to whisper something to him urgently. The composed expression on his face creased into something _more_ and Adriana felt a shiver of dread trace its way up her spine. Turning to face her once more, the cool smile on his face curled into something predatory that had her mouth drying and her stomach dropping.

"Councilor Cortez. You were on the board of prosecutors that allowed the one responsible for the _Valena_ massacre to walk free, were you not?"

And just like that, Adriana felt as if she had been dropped into a bottomless hole.

* * *

"Well, shit." Inu no Taisho muttered as he paused the recording of the debate and looked to the deflated expression on Perez's face.

"You can say that again." The older commander mumbled as he sank further in his chair.

"Well, shit." Taisho said again, crooking a brow at the rolled eyes he received. "And this was aired live?"

Perez nodded, bringing his scotch closer to his face. "Yep. You saw the way the girl froze. Hell, the whole of the Eastern Fleet saw the way she turned white as a sheet." He took a slow sip and met his long-time friend's gaze over the rim of the glass.

"No way she could have recovered from that point. If she hadn't shown she was affected by the question, maybe there could have been damage control. But to stand there, mouth gaping and white as a sheet?" He snorted and took another sip of his alcohol of choice.

Taisho hummed his own agreement and looked to the horrified expression frozen on the councilor's face. "How'd he get ahold of those records, anyway? Weren't those on the board of prosecutors supposed to remain confidential?" His eyes scanned the screen as he rewound the feed, watching as, again, the man approached the senator from behind. "Who is the guy that spoke to the senator before he asked the question?"

"Hmph. The senator's secretary. Byakuya Hirestuna. Already looking into that one."

Taisho nodded and studied the way the senators face sharpened as he was told whatever it was. The man was definitely a good politician. He kept his hand close to his chest and had a poker face a gambler would kill for.

"What's Cortez planning now?" He asked idly, turning his eyes away from the screen and towards his own glass of alcohol.

Perez shrugged his shoulders and set his hands on the table in front of him. "No clue. I was told, politely as can be, to keep my nose out of the race by her stingy campaign manager. The mudslinging on the feed channels is rather fierce and one-sided at the moment. Senator Keegan is definitely killing any chance Adriana would have of recovering, let alone winning."

"As one would expect." Taisho murmured, sharing a look with Perez. "The council certainly picked a tough one this time around."

Perez grinned, memories resurfacing. "Just like that time you and Ryukotsusei battled it out for the Western Fleet."

Inu no Taisho scoffed, setting his sake down. "Keh. That old bastard. Don't remind me! One large pain in the ass, that was!"

Perez chuckled to himself, remembering the slander that had bandied about during that election. "Heh. A cheating womanizer, I believe, was your unofficial campaign slogan."

"Perez. Not another word." Inu no Taisho growled, glaring into the screen as Perez continued to chortle over the memories. "Izayoi still has problems remembering that time."

The Eastern Fleet Commander sobered up immediately. "Ah, yes. Your youngest was born around that time."

Taisho let out a harsh sigh, past regrets over how things were handled flitted over his face. "Enough of the dirty laundry. Let's talk about something else." He shifted forward, determined to change the flow of the conversation.

"Myouga sent me a report on the energy being sent to the Baasratu."

Perez leaned forward in his own chair, shifting his weight to one side, using his arm on the armrest to stabilize himself. "Oh? Anything new?"

"We've recruited a specialist in Baasratu energy. Naraku Hadani." He paused to gauge the other commander's expression, continuing when there was no visible sign of recognition at the name. "He claims he'll be able to decipher the means and message of the energy. We have him enroot to the lab now."

"Well, that's a step in the right direction. About time! All this tension over the traitor in our ranks makes me feel like I'm sitting on needles." Perez sniffed as he received a report on his screen explaining the same details. "And this Hadani can be trusted?"

"I'm not entirely sure."

Perez shot his gaze back to the military commander and raised a brow. "You aren't sure? _You_?"

Taisho set his elbows onto his desk and his head onto his laced fingers. "I've heard the name before, but I can't quite recall where. It's bothering me more than it should."

"Intuition?"

"Instincts! At least call it instincts!" Inu no Taisho growled again, disliking the feminine connotation intuition evoked. "Something about his name is important…"

Perez shrugged his shoulders and poured himself another round. "Well, here's to conspiracies and botched campaigns. May it all end well."

Taisho snorted, but lifted his glass all the same. "Yeah. Like they always do." His sarcasm rang through the line as the both of them downed their drinks.

* * *

Kagome walked slowly towards the hothouse laboratories located four sectors over from where she currently was. The talk she had had with Micah still churning in her mind. After the resource planet discussion had ended, and the council had been notified of their decision, Anderson had stood from the table and settled a hand on her shoulder in a friendly gesture.

 _"_ _You ever need someone to talk too, for advice or whatever, my office doors are open. I'll let my secretary know to give you clearance."_

Kagome had modestly protested such an allowance, but Anderson had laughed and reaffirmed her statement. As she had walked away, Kagome had gradually come down from the surrealism the woman seemed to inspire in her. Or maybe she was still really tired from the mission? Either way, she had crashed landed back into reality when Micah's bright red hair came into her vision and she remembered Anderson's comment on a report. A report she was supposed to have received instead.

Her eyes had fixed onto Micah's face as the oblivious botanist made her way through the thinning crowds to get to her. The fact that Micah had sent the report to Anderson and not to her could have several meanings. The first, and what she hoped was the most likely, was that Micah had absently sent it to the wrong address. Another option was that she had indeed sent her the report but it had been lost somewhere in the feeds. Unlikely however it may be, it still does happen on occasion.

Worst case scenario…Micah was trying to claim credit on her plant and research.

Her heart thudded in her chest over the foul thoughts she was having of her friend, but Kagome wasn't an idiot. Blindly believing in a friendly face, in such a competitive field, was foolish. It was one of the many lessons Kitakawa-sensei had drilled into her head. With this thought firmly stamped into the fore of her mind, Kagome had waited for Micah to reach her side, already building her walls in her own defense.

The conversation had started out innocuously enough. The both of them had talked over their impressions of the meeting, noting the different components the extraction was going to bring back.

 _"_ _I'm a little curious over this metal they were talking about. You know the stuff found on one of the land masses?"_

Micah had gushed over the soil they could be getting in and paused when she had glanced over to see that Kagome had been sitting next to an M. Anderson. When she had tentatively brought it up, Kagome had decided to start her own inquiry.

 _"_ _Yeah, speaking of Anderson, she mentioned something to me that I found kind of strange." Kagome started, putting the whole of her focus on the woman in front of her. "She said she read the report recently sent in and congratulated me on the blooming flowers."_

 _Micah stiffened at the end of Kagome's sentence. An expression she couldn't decipher flying across her face only to be covered with what Kagome knew to be slight bafflement and genuine panic._

 _"_ _What?_ Anderson _read the report?" The emphasis placed on Anderson's name told Kagome more than Micah probably knew._

 _"_ _Yeah. I looked in my work inbox and all I found was the message detailing the meeting. Why wasn't the report sent to me?" Kagome continued, leading Micah into the silent trap she had thought up. Her eyes caught the shift of expression on the other botanist's face and her worst fears were confirmed._

 _"_ _Oh man! I'm so sorry! I must have put the wrong address in! I've been so over worked recently! Jess has me looking after his plants too now, and I guess the stress has me a little out of it! I'll send you the report now!"_

 _She was lying. Right to her face, the bitch was lying. Kagome hid the sick feeling she had inside and instead pasted on a bright smile. "Don't worry about it, Micah. I'm heading to the lab anyway. I'll see her for myself."_

Kagome had ended the conversation quickly at that, waving off the apologies that had tumbled from Micah's mouth one after the other. The short ride in the lift ended just as Kagome was replaying the way Micah's energy had fluctuated with each word spoken. She had never before used her extra gift to examine the older woman who had been a friend for the past two years, but now she wished she had done it the moment they had met.

Perhaps it would have prevented the pain she was feeling now.

Micah had indeed sent in a report claiming her plant to a higher up, but not Anderson. Micah had definitely been mortified that Anderson had read the report. Probably because Anderson was one of the few who knew what Kagome had been experimenting with in her lab. Only four people knew what she had been doing in-depth. Jess, Micah, Anderson and herself. Trying to claim credit on her research wouldn't have been possible through Anderson.

Who was Micah trying to submit the report to and how, then, did Anderson get ahold of it?

Walking faster down the corridor with each thought, Kagome spotted Jess behind the counter leading to the oxygen regulated chambers. 'Might as well cover all your bases, girl.' She thought to herself as she smiled faintly at the constantly tired-looking botanist.

"Hey, Jess. Quick question."

Jessup Rodgers lifted a brow and waited as Kagome caught her breath.

"Was Micah watching over your hothouse?"

The myriad of expressions crossing Jess's face had Kagome watching in shock. She had never seen the man show anything other than fatigue for the two years she had known him. The deepening disgust and downright rejection she was witnessing now told her more than she wanted to know.

"That bitch isn't allowed near my lab."

He must have seen the pole-axed look on her face because he went on to explain. "Can't trust her with anything, the sneaky serpent she is. She likes to poke her nose where it isn't wanted, trying to brown-nose and lie her way to the top."

"W…why didn't you say anything sooner?!"

Jess shrugged his shoulders, his face finally settling back into its default: sleep-deprived. "She latched onto you right away. Didn't seem as if you'd believe me if I told you." He paused as he studied the conflicted emotions she was expressing. "Kept track of your stuff, though. I was the one that redirected the report to Anderson. Rozzen didn't realize that all submitted reports pertaining to the chambers have to be finalized at this desk."

Kagome looked up at the tall and thin botanist behind the counter, at a loss for words as tears filled her eyes.

"Th-thank-!" Her voice cut off as she realized she was crying. A warm heavy hand settled firmly on her shoulder, giving a slight squeeze.

"It was only right. You're a sweet girl, Miss Kagome. I hate to see that kind of sincerity taken advantage of." There was a slight buzz as Jess placed his hand on a panel below the desk. "Now go on in and take a look at your beautiful baby. She's growing up right fine."

Kagome choked back her tears and put on a strained smile for the awkward way Jess was trying to cheer her up. Taking a deep breath, she squared her shoulders and marched through the doors, making her way quickly to pod room number four.

And there she was, the culmination of over seven years of research, spanning back to the time she had been a kid under the tutelage of Kitakawa-sensei. The vines were thicker and longer, coiling about on the floor in large puddles. Dotting along the vines were bright purple buds and flowers, in various stages of blooming. Each fully bloomed flower was easily larger than the span of her own hand.

Taking out her screen, she brought up the function she always used when she wrote her notes and dissertations. She glanced over to the monitor that oversaw the level of oxygen in the room and her lips stretched into a wide grin to see the fluctuation of the numbers. Her baby was doing exactly what she had been hoping for.

In the right soil, the plant she had created was able to produce large amounts of oxygen. However, it was only the blooms that were able to do so, and to get the plant to bloom, it needed a space that contained as little oxygen as possible. In essence, she had created a plant that could possibly prove invaluable to the process of terraforming a planet with no sustainable atmosphere.

The genomes she had obtained from a moss-like plant found on their last resource planet had proved to be a pivotal point in her research. The fact that she was now staring at the end product of her long hours in the lab had tears building in her eyes once more. And lord was she beautiful.

A slight beep sounded from the pod room to her right and she shook off the pride-filled wonder she was struck with. Of course, this didn't mean it was all done. She still need to keep track of the gestation of the blooms and their effect on the oxygen levels as well as the effects pollination would have. Her stylus flew across the screen as she hurriedly scribbled her findings, thoughts and theories over the next couple of stages.

Finishing the sloppy notes, she checked them over with a critical eye. She would type up the official report at the desk and send it in to Anderson herself, she decided. Her eyes came to her contact list and she moved Micah's address to the blocked list. Filing a complaint wouldn't really work in her favor, seeing as all she had on Micah Rozzen was suspicion. The report she had "accidentally" sent to the wrong person could be seen as an honest mistake.

The best way she could deal with the back-stabber was at a distance.

Jess looked up from the desk as Kagome sidled up and set her screen on the counter top. "She really is beautiful." Kagome breathed out, sharing a smile with the older man. "I can't believe how well she's doing."

"Hard work finally paying off." Jess agreed, taking a sip of his ever-full coffee mug.

"Yeah, but I still got a long way to go. She'll be under observation for months." She slid a glance at Jess sideways. "I'd like to restrict Micah from being able to interact with pod room four."

"Anderson already authorized that. You don't have to worry on that end. Your research is now highly valued by the higher ups. They'll protect it, especially considering Anderson is aware of how Micah is."

Kagome nodded pensively. "You don't think she'd try to steal my work again, do you?"

Jess snorted. "That bitch is still trying to steal _Anderson's_ work. And she does it in a way that looks completely legitimate too." He set down the coffee mug and stood from his chair. "A snake to the bone, that one."

All Kagome could do was nod in agreement.

* * *

Byakuya let out a silent sigh as he walked slowly down the deserted corridor leading to a pharmaceutical lab located at the far end of the ship he and his employer were currently on. His thoughts stirred darkly over the amount of time his extra-curricular sleuthing was taking up. He would much rather be eating dinner now, than heading into what was promising to be a spooky lab.

Reaching a door, he had memorized from his investigation, he knocked politely beside the bio-scanner. When no one answered, he placed his palm on the scanner, grinning at the easy admittance he had gained after hacking the panel earlier. The door slid open silently and he peered around the dimly lit laboratory. The sound of something knocking about from the back caught his attention and he headed in that direction on silent feet.

A man in a lab coat, with rather long messy hair, stood at a far table, seeming to peer into a microscope. A rather large collection of slides sat in three separate containers, half of which appeared to have already been looked at.

Coming up behind the man, he opened his mouth in anticipation of startling the scientist, but found himself swallowing his own shock as the man calmly turned to face him instead.

"I assume you have a reason for entering my lab without permission?"

Taking the change sudden change in plans in stride, Byakuya allowed his default polite smile to cover his face.

"Why, yes, indeed." His voice was light in levity and his smile creeping toward the bright end of the spectrum. "I am here representing my employer." His eyes opened from the slits they had closed to during his smile, the sharp sheen to them had the scientist turning around to fully face the man.

"Is that so? Your 'employer' in desperate need of calcium and iron? How about zinc? Seeing as he can't go through the regular channels to obtain vitamins, it must be dire indeed." The heavy sarcasm echoed through the nearly empty room.

Byakuya tilted his head to the side, as if in confusion. Though his expression was anything but confused. "Ah. I'm not here about vitamins, Mr. Magatsuhi Nise. I'm here about a fabulous drug you have recently begun developing."

Magatsuhi stiffened, the slide in his hand cracking at the sudden amount of pressure his was exerting on it from his tightened fingers. "I don't know what you're talking about."

Byakuya had to give him credit; he sounded completely serious. If it hadn't been for his body language, he would have thought he had made a mistake in his investigation. However, his hands and shoulders had given him away, so Byakuya pressed on.

"Oh, I believe you do. You are also aware of which employer I am speaking of." He said simply and raised the bit-screen he had brought for this specific reason.

Dr. Magatsuhi Nise glanced at the screen and his brows lowered in a frown. "The next batch isn't ready yet." He stated simply, bringing his eyes back up to meet Byakuya's.

"That's fine, that's fine." Byakuya chirped, almost sing-song like, and placed the bit-screen on the table-top beside him. "This contains the contact information. Let us know when it is."

He turned from the scowling pharmacist and walked toward the door, pausing when he got to it to turn and look at him once more. "And doctor, payment will only be made on delivery."

The sunny smile he shot to the silent man stayed on his face the entire way back to the lift. 'I wonder what I'll have for dinner?' He contemplated to himself as he selected the floor he wanted.

* * *

They had landed ten minutes ago and the unloading process was driving her up the wall. Her hands were shaking and her breath was coming out in heavy pants. The tremors hadn't started yet, but she knew she was on the verge of a full freak out.

She had sent an emergency message to her new western contact, requesting the pills immediately. Her only lifeline was the short message sent back detailing who to look for and where. Long blue hooded jacket, black pants, in front of the Izzy Brand ad right outside the gate. She repeated this over and over in a bid to drown out the mental garbage she was picking up from the man beside her.

Finally, the lines were moving and she could see the light at the end of the tunnel. People were slowly milling around the end of the terminal and she pushed past them, her impatience finally getting the best of her. Seeing the ad mentioned in the message she began her frantic search for a blue hooded jacket and black pants.

Out of the corner of her eye, the crowds shifted and she caught sight of what she was looking for. Her breath whooshed out in relief as she started a stumbling jog towards the person standing off to the side fitting the description. Just before she reached the person of interest, her foot caught in the carpeting and she fell forward, her hands clawing at anything for purchase.

The hood of the jacket came down as she grabbed onto her target and she was slightly stunned at the cascade of red curls that came tumbling out. The last thing she thought before losing consciousness was that she didn't realize her dealer would be a woman.

Micah scowled down into her screen as the message she had tried to send to Kagome Higurashi was sent back. Damn. She had been so close! If it hadn't been for the report being sent to Anderson, she would be well on her way to raking in the money. What the hell had gone wrong?! Her eyes narrowed as she tried to narrow down the possibilities.

Tch. Two years wasted. She clicked her tongue to herself, closing out of her screen and settling it back into her jacket pocket. For two years she had sucked the Higurashi girl in, with absolutely no interference. So what the hell had happened?

Her thoughts derailed when there was a sharp gasp behind her and hands were suddenly yanking on her jacket. She jerked around as her hood fell down and stared into a pale sweaty face and glazed eyes. She reflexively caught the girl in her arms, trying to keep the both of them from toppling onto the floor. The girl flopped backwards and Micah realized she was unconscious.

Placing her arm around her waist, she threw the girls arm over her shoulders, clicking her tongue in disgust for the second time. "Damn druggies!" She muttered to herself, waving off the concerned looks she was getting from those around her. "This is why they tell you to make sure you have enough supply while traveling!"

Her scathing words weren't reaching the unconscious girl, which made her more irritable. She turned to head towards her unit, half dragging the girl with her and dissuading the military personnel from helping her.

"My cousin!" She tried to chirp brightly, her teeth grit behind her smile. "She gets sick when she travels!"

By the dubious looks she was getting, she doubted they fully believed her, but they weren't pressing the issue to Micah hurried on, relieved when she finally got them to the nearest lift. She breathed a sigh of relief when she noticed it was empty and pushed the girl over to the wall of the lift, not wanting to touch her more than she had too.

When she had received the message from her new client stating an emergency, she had been irritated over the nuisance it would be to meet her at the port. Now the little junky was unconscious, her hands shaking and legs twitching. Looked like the tremors were setting in. 'Jeez. Did the dumb broad forget to take her pills for a whole day, or what?!'

The chime of the lift had her hoisting the girl back into her arms, thankful she didn't live far from the lifts. Though she got a lot of looks from the few people milling about the residential area, she reached her door with relative ease and practically tossed the girl on her floor once they were through the door.

She took the pills she had brought with her out of her pocket and tossed them on her bed, heading for the bathroom. The girl wouldn't be able to swallow the pill and judging by the symptoms she was exuding, she needed it immediately. She placed her hand on a hidden panel on the wall by her shower and took out the small bottle filled with a milky liquid and one of the disposable needles she had on hand.

She filled the needle with the correct dosage and place the bottle back in the hidden cubby, making sure to close it back up.

She made quick work of shooting up the girl and tossing the needle into the incendiary by the door. While she waited for the girl to come to, she sat on the bed and observed her. The shaking had stopped, and while she was still sweating, her pallor was fading. Taking a closer look, she cursed as she realized the girl's nose was bleeding, a darker stain of purple spreading on her carpet.

Wonderful. More mess to clean up, she snarled mentally and sent a kick at the girl's side. The girl let out a groan and curled up around where she had kicked her.

"Get up. You're bleeding all over my floor." Micah hissed, her eyes narrowed as she watched the girl pull herself up, first sitting, then to her knees and finally wobbling to her feet.

"Wha-?"

Before she could start asking annoying questions, Micah launched into her rant. "For crying out loud, the hell is wrong with you?! Are you too stupid to plan a trip and bring enough of the drug to tide you over? Christ, the number of people who saw you and me! What the hell was I supposed to do if the militia tried to bring you to med-bay?!"

The girl turned steadily sharpening eyes to her, but didn't say anything. Micah grudgingly approved. At least the little freak knew her place.

"You're lucky I got my hands on the new shit, or you'd be a mumbling puddle of mindless flesh right about now…not that it would be much of a difference. And, god do you smell! Have you not _bathed_ in a week, or what?! I hope you know you are scrubbing the blood stain out of my-!"

Her diatribe ended on a squeak as she suddenly found herself suspended above the bed, her air passage cut off by an unseen force. The girl let out a breath, rather calmly, and walked over to look in the bathroom, grimacing at her appearance.

"Your voice is too loud." She said simply, her monotone voice sending a shiver down her spine even as she tried to gasp for air.

"I don't know why all you born-psychics feel so superior. Your talent is only sub-par, anyway." The girl continued, pacing around Micah's room, fiddling with whatever caught her attention. "Did you know, even while unconscious, I could hear your thoughts?"

The girl's eyes snapped to Micah hanging midair above her bed. "Know what I hate? Pity."

Micah's throat worked frantically as if she was trying to answer. The girl cocked her head to the side, already knowing the psychic's thoughts.

"Know what I hate more than pity?" She walked closer to the bed, watching as the invisible energy she was manipulating twisted around Micah tighter. "A condescending attitude."

There was a sharp snap and Micah's head flopped back, her neck broken and her horrified expression still etched on her face. The girl allowed the body to drop onto the bed and her eyes were drawn to the bottle of pills that rolled off the side. She bent down to pick it up, counting the pills inside.

She turned her eyes back to the bed and lifted the bottle, shaking it slightly. "Thanks for these." She turned to the bathroom door, deciding it would probably be best if she cleaned herself up. "You don't mind if I borrow your shower, do you?" She listened attentively to the silence and a sick grin curled over her lips.

"Thanks."

xXx

Augh! I know! A lot of you are probably like: "What?! No S/K action?!" Sorry. Plot won me over. I've got a lot of stuff I gotta start tying in, but I promise it will all be worth the wait! Thank you all for reading and please leave a review! It's no joke when I say the reviews are sometimes the only thing that keeps me motivated.


	20. Chapter 20

**Attention:** To those of you that are frustrated or upset at the pace of this story; I implore you to stop reading now. Wait until it says it's completed.

I didn't start writing this with a half-assed notion of a vague storyline. This was a plot I have been thinking about for over two years. All the elements I have included are put in for a reason. They aren't random whimsy I decided to throw in to frustrate you.

I admit, I did contemplate changing my plot to fit in a meeting between Kagome and Sesshomaru sooner than what I wanted, but honestly guys, **_nothing_** beats out what I have planned. I swear to you that when the time comes for them to meet; it will be explosive. So, all I can say is: please have patience.

I have maybe ten more chapters before this is done and I plan to have it completed before my next birthday in January. This was the time limit I set myself. For those of you that are enjoying the ride, I thank you very much for your support. Especially to the dokuga community members that rallied behind me after I got that angry review. Those were the reviews that brought tears to my eyes and I love you all for it.

Chapter Twenty

He stepped onto the ramp leading further into the port and set his duffle bag at his feet. Leaning back, he stretched his arms above his head and took a deep breath. There was a loud commotion behind him, but he ignored it in favor of watching uniformed militia and port-side workers rush about.

"Ugh! Bank! Explain to me _why_ you took me from my last position just to dock here on _Eden_?!"

Looking behind him, he took in the ruffled appearance of his effeminate teammate. "We're here to hunt down a freak, Jakotsu." He bent to pick up his duffle and swung it over his shoulder, descending the ramp. "We're here to hunt down a freak."

* * *

Kagome rushed through the doors leading out of the locker room. Her hands yanked on the sleeves to her suit as she tried to keep her heart under control. Early this morning, while she had been eating breakfast with Miroku, she had gotten a message from Captain Taisho requesting a training session. Miroku had made a disgusted noise when he had caught sight of the blush staining her cheeks.

"For crying out loud, Kagome. It's a training session! Not a date!" Miroku had burst out and Kagome had opened her mouth to retort, but froze as her words registered mentally before she could say them.

Miroku's waiting expression and cocked eyebrow had her blustering through the awkward pause as she finished off the last of her miso soup and stood to leave. "Like you don't look forward to linking with Sango-chan!" She had shouted behind her as she left, feeling momentary triumph as a grimace had crossed his face.

She entered the pod room and nodded to the happy chirp Wallace sent her way. "This is a rather abrupt training session." She commentated and Kagome shrugged her shoulders.

"Didn't Taisho used to request sudden training all the time?"

Wallace sighed, nodding to herself in remembrance. "Yes, but there never used to be so much involved in the setup." She ignored the curious stare from the younger woman. "Hojo never required so much monitoring."

Kagome frowned and narrowed her eyes. "So, why do I?"

Wallace paused and looked up from her screen, her expression carefully blank. "Because you're so much stronger, my dear."

Knowing that the cryptic answers were all she would get, she dropped the subject and began strapping on her electrodes. The five-minute chime sounded and Kagome felt her heart trip over itself in anticipation, reminding her of her own unsaid thought at breakfast.

 _'_ _It's not like there is another way to meet with him right now!'_

Deciding it was for the best that she hadn't said it out loud, Kagome got into the pod and waited for the linking process to begin.

Sesshomaru straightened, from the middle of the kata he had been running through, when he felt the first tingle of awareness glide up his spine and lift the hairs on the back of his neck.

'Higurashi.'

He cursed himself when her name came out more caressive than it should have. The breathy way she had responded, however, had him staring down at his saber a moment longer then needed.

'Good morning, Captain.'

Suddenly feeling the need to clear his throat, he swiped his saber out to the right in a side slash, as if to cast aside the emotions she created in him. 'We have a mission for tomorrow morning.'

Kagome mentally blinked at the abrupt way his statement came out, interrupting the check-up she was doing on his energy. 'Oh. I haven't received anything about that.' She sounded apprehensive, even to her own ears. 'Is it an assassination mission?'

Sesshomaru exhaled slowly and settled into the first stance of the beginning of another kata. 'No. A scouting mission.' He felt the slide of her energy against his arms and knew she was pulling out that something extra so they'd move faster. 'I received the details early this morning. They aren't planning to send the mission directive over the usual channels. Each of us are to get in contact with our partners through training to go over the parameters.'

Kagome hummed in acknowledgement as they both whipped around and brought the saber up in a counter strike. 'So, what exactly will we be doing?'

'There has been some suspicious activity near a small asteroid field in a lower corner of the western quadrant.'

'Suspicious activity?'

'Baasratu movement.'

Kagome mulled the information over as she absently monitored the speed her partner was using in each strike. 'Why does this have the higher ups keeping it hush-hush from everyone else?' She focused her whole attention on Taisho when he paused a fraction longer than necessary. 'Why is this coming out to be such a secret?'

Sesshomaru slid his foot back from his lunge and walked over to the control panel, selecting the simulation he wanted to run through.

'I am not sure.'

Kagome heard the hesitancy in his tone and let it drop. She trusted Taisho. If anyone would be able to figure out what was going on, he would. Besides, she had her own questionable crap-fest to wade through. Her mental monologue was cut off as the first of their simulated enemies appeared.

'So it's just hack and slash today, boss?' She questioned, relieved that it wasn't anything to do with strategy.

'Hn.'

'Yeah. I needed the mindless exercise too.' Her laughter echoed over the simulated enemy's death rattle and Sesshomaru allowed a small smile to curve his lips.

* * *

Naraku examined the armband inside the machine he was currently using to monitor the strange energy surrounding it. He ignored the twittering of the other researchers in the room and instead focused on the pattern the energy seemed to be weaving. His lips quirked into a sadistic smirk as he caught the subtle difference between human and Baasratu consistency.

Whoever had created this energy, certainly knew what they were doing. The thrill of breaking that down and deciphering their intent had shivers tracing up his spine.

"Well? Are you just going to stand there and stare at it? You _are_ the 'expert' they paid to come in, aren't you? Seems a waste if you ask me."

"No one asked you, plebian." Naraku murmured, cutting a sharp glance to the unnamed researcher standing at his back. "I'm here precisely because you are useless. If you can't even tell that I am doing what I was brought here for, you're worse off than I expected. Honestly, I have no idea why you're even on this ship, let alone this lab. If you are what we are supposed to be entrusting the future of research and development too; we might as well be heading back to technology in our Earth days."

The silence following his words was harsh. Some in the room barely dared to breathe. The unnamed researcher stood with his mouth gaping and his face pale in his rage.

"Now, if you are all done standing around and gawking, I have work to do. If you can't make yourself useful, then get out. You are in the way as it is."

He turned back to the armband and settled his hand on the control panel beside the screen. While it was lovely to watch the dark energy writhe from behind the glass, he needed to feel it to understand it. Several sharp gasps as he slid the casing off the armband had him rolling his eyes. Really. Researchers these days did not like getting their hands dirty.

Naraku was slightly dissatisfied to note the energy did not leak out to fill the room as he had wanted it too. It kept itself neatly wrapped around the armband it had been tied too. "You said that you had to dispel the energy to read the contents of a previous armband?"

The female researcher to his left jumped when he turned his gaze to her with his question. Readjusting her glasses in her nervousness, she nodded her head emphatically. "Uh, yes. That's correct. At the time, we thought the message was in the armband, not the energy around it."

Naraku hummed, keeping his eyes on the woman longer; enjoying the way he was making her feel uneasy. "And it was the second such armband that made you rethink about the energy around it?"

Before the woman could respond, and exasperated voice interrupted. "Hadani! We have already sent you the whole report! It's why you are here. Now could you please take this seriously?"

Myouga walked through the stiff researchers surrounding the one asking questions and frowned claret eyes met his own. "You were brought here to read the energy and decipher its message. Not to intimidate my staff."

Naraku turned back to the armband. Since meeting the portly older man at the shuttle terminal, he had been faintly amused at the combination of cowardly actions and strange words laced in steel. It was obvious why this man was the second in command of the western fleet; even if he was a civilian.

"Well, then. Good news for you. I have already concluded what this would have portrayed to the Baasratu."

"What?!"

The startled shout came from everyone in the room. Myouga's brows came down in a scowl as he crossed his arms over his chest. Mistrust radiated from his entire being. "Oh, really? What does it say?"

Naraku placed his hands just above the energy encircling the armband and allowed his own to lightly touch it, being careful not to interrupt the intricate pattern it was weaving. "It's not in words, like we would understand. It is a feeling…a notion."

He pulled his energy back and turned to fully face the one in charge. "This is a confirmation of sorts. As if to say there is an agreement."

"An agreement of what?!"

"Well, I imagine that information was on previous armbands you inadvertently destroyed, wouldn't you say?" Naraku snipped, feeling his own frustration over not knowing exactly what this was about. "You wouldn't happen to have any other such objects as-of-yet undisturbed…would you?"

Myouga paused and examined the creepy psychic in front of him. He didn't trust the boy as far as he could throw him, but he had been the one to bring him onboard. "As a matter of fact; we had a team find another armband. It's why I'm here in the first place."

"Excellent. I'll be in my room. Come get me when it arrives." Naraku stated airily as he walked to the door, flippantly waving his hand over his shoulder.

A collective breath was released when the door slid shut behind the psychic. Myouga was slightly ashamed to admit that he had breathed a sigh of relief with the rest of them.

* * *

Kagome hummed under her breath as she washed the last of the gel from her hair. The training session with Taisho had been therapeutic in the way that the both-of-them hadn't had to think; just move together. She blushed at the way her mind kept going back to the feel of his muscles, as if she had touched them with her own hands.

'I should feel his abs the next time we link.'

Her thought had her sputtering and accidentally inhaling some of the water from the shower up her nose. Gah! This is getting bad! She cursed herself as she turned off the water, worried she was starting to have perverted tendencies like Miroku.

'Well…it'd make the dreams more realistic, I suppose.'

Oh, lord. She was now arguing a case for her naughty thoughts! Shaking her head, she squeezed the excess water from her hair and headed over to where her towel was hanging. Drying off and putting on the lab clothes she had selected for the day, Kagome sternly reminded herself she had other things to think about besides her partner's body.

She scowled at her blushing face in the mirror as she brushed through her hair and twisted the mass up into a high tail, braiding the wet strands so her back wasn't drenched. Right. I've got to go to the lab today and file some reports. Apparently, Micah hadn't been filing them the way she should have. Thankfully she had saved some of her own step-by-step observations.

Her thoughts filled with work once more, Kagome made her way out of the battle-link sector and towards the inner rings of the ship. She debated over whether-or-not to get something to eat from the cafeteria as she passed, but decided she would rather get those reports done first. She was stepping off the lift leading to the hothouse sector when the feeling of something being wrong punched her in the gut.

She stopped abruptly in the hall, staring down the corridor leading to the lobby where her lab was located. She could see the guard station from where she was, but she couldn't see Taijya behind the counter.

Her heart was thudding in her chest and her breaths were coming out shallowly, as if she was trying to escape something's notice. The notion that something was wrong grew as she began to take slow steps leading towards the lobby.

Carefully looking through the window in the door separating the lobby from the corridor, Kagome still could not see Taijya anywhere in the room. Her hand hovered over the scanner by the door, trembling in what Kagome was coming to realize was fear.

Just as she was taking a step away and deciding to come back with a member of the militia, a face appeared at the window and the door slid open. Kagome let out a startled scream as a hand grasped onto her wrist and yanked her through the doorway.

"Aw, Kagome-chan. You shouldn't leave before coming in to say hi! Not when you're the guest of honor in this little party!"

Kagome's vision warped slightly as her eyes wildly roved over the room. A broken coffee table smashed in the corner of the room, a potted plant shattered beside the door, foliage scattered about, something that looked like the back of a chair, a red splatter, legs sticking out from underneath the wreckage of another table, someone's screen in pieces by a far door, a stun-gun in the center of the room and a person pinned to the wall by what looked like a chair.

Her eyes finally settled on the one that had yanked her in and locked the panel behind her. The iron clamp that had been a hand let her go as Kagome studied the woman in front of her. Short dark brown hair framed a vaguely familiar face, but it was the eyes that held her attention. Slightly widened, as if in excitement, Kagome couldn't tell the color of her iris's due to the enlargement of her pupils.

"Come on, Kagome. You know who I am." The girl sang out, but her tone was all wrong. As if she wanted to sound happy, but lost the emotion and was confused on how it should sound.

A shiver traced up her spine and she took a step back on trembling legs, stumbling slightly when her heel knocked into something. An energy slid around her waist, feeling slimy and unnatural, keeping her from falling. Staring in muted horror at the energy touching her, she traced it back to its source to see the girl grinning at her triumphantly.

"Isn't it wonderful? You see, Kagome-chan! I could do it too!"

"Wha-?!"

"And you didn't think I could!" The girl continued, cutting off her gasp. "No one did. But I showed them! I knew I could be psychic too!"

Kagome felt a twinge of recognition at the almost child-like words. Her mouth opened hesitantly as she studied the girl in front of her. "Y-yuka…?"

The girl's grin widened almost painfully. "See! I knew you'd recognize me! Took a while though…" A frown immediately pulled the corners of her lips down and Kagome felt another chill at the abrupt change in emotion.

'Oh man…she's-'

"Don't think it!" Yuka screamed, putting her hands up to her temples and screwing her eyes shut. "Don't _fucking_ think it! I'm not crazy!"

Kagome watched with wide eyes as the unnatural energy writhed about Yuka, as if lashing out. The already smashed table in the corner crunched and seemed to explode as a piece, like a tentacle, crashed into it. As bits of the table went flying everywhere, Kagome heard a faint groan behind her and turned her head to look.

Taijya, the person pinned to the wall with a chair, let out another groan and lifted his head. Dried blood from the wide gash in his head covered the side of his face, keeping one of his eyes from opening fully. The one eye that could open, focused on Kagome's terrified face before moving onto the rage-infused expression on their attacker.

Before Kagome could turn around to see what Taijya was staring at in his own horror, a cold hand clamped onto the lower half of her face and forced her head back around.

"Pay attention to me!"

The energy that had been steadily wrapping around her body tightened and Kagome let out a choking gasp. Yuka blinked and then relaxed her energy, her eyes taking on a worried sheen as she softened the grip she had on Kagome's face.

"Sorry, Kagome-chan! I didn't mean to hurt you!" Her eyes looked over Kagome's body, checking for signs of damage. "You can't think things like that, ok? You'll make me mad and I'll have to hurt you. I don't want to hurt you, ok, Kagome-chan?"

Yuka softly crooned to her, as if she was talking to a small child. Kagome swallowed the heavy lump in her throat and tried for a weak smile. "Ok, Yuka…chan." Her mind raced as she tried to recall the defense class she had taken with Kitakawa-sensei on telepaths. There was a way to keep them from reading your thoughts…something with wrapping your own energy around your mind.

Yuka was studying her intently, and in fear that she was picking up on what she was doing, Kagome opened her mouth.

"W-why are you here, Yuka-chan?" Her question came out in a slight stutter and Kagome took a deep breath to steady her fear-driven trembling.

Yuka cocked her head to the side and took her hands from Kagome's face. "To see you, of course." She pursed her lips at the blank look her statement caused. "I wanted to show you I'm a psychic now too! Isn't it great?!"

Kagome swallowed again, her mouth dry and her heart still thudding in dread. "O-oh. Uh…how…how did that happen…?" She asked hesitantly, not sure what would set her off. Her own energy was finally wrapped around her thoughts, though she was disturbed to realize that the energy Yuka was using was keeping her energy trapped inside her body. What the hell kind of energy was this? It was twisted…and _wrong_.

Yuka, apparently not hearing her thoughts, smiled as if at a blissful memory. "My savior came to me and told me that I could be more than what I was. That I was destined for something _greater_."

Kagome licked her lips, focusing completely on her childhood friend. "Your savior…? Who are you talking about?"

Yuka's eyes focused on Kagome's and her lips twisted into another frown. "It doesn't matter to _you_ , oh great Kagome Higurashi. The psychic that can do _anything_! The amazing prodigy!" Her voice was steadily climbing in octaves as she spoke and the energy around Kagome was tightening again.

Kagome let out a distressed squeak and the energy loosened once more. Yuka tutted and pat Kagome's cheek, as if the outburst had been her fault. "It wasn't fair, you know." She trailed her hand up to Kagome's hair and fussed with her fringe absently. "It was always: 'Look what Kagome did! See how wonderful she is!' Never: 'Good job, Yuka! What great grades!'"

Yuka's hand fisted in Kagome's braid and yanked her head back.

"Why wasn't I ever good enough?! Do you know how many times I had to listen to my parents praise you?! And the disappointment when they realized we didn't talk anymore!?"

Kagome let out a pained yelp as Yuka yanked again before letting go. "It wasn't fair. You stole everything from me. Psychic powers, my parents…my own recognition! Everything!"

Kagome's mouth opened in panic as the energy Yuka was using tightened to the point she couldn't draw in air. Just as she felt she would pass out, the energy relaxed and she sucked in breaths as fast as she could. Yuka stood back and watched as her old friend fought to breathe, her pale face gaining a flush and her eyes screwed shut.

"You know, they designated me to agriculture."

Kagome's eyes peeked open and Yuka smirked self-depreciatingly. "Yeah, wasn't even good enough to make it to researcher. Just relegated to good ol' fashioned farm work. Weed the plants, fertilize, pick the _goddamned_ fruit!"

Kagome flinched at Yuka's screech and Yuka grinned.

"Then he came to me. Told me I was wasted in agriculture. Told me I could be something _more_." Her blissful grin twisted into something bitter and her eyes shifted to the floor. "All I had to do, was start taking one simple pill a day."

Kagome stiffened, watching the unnatural psychic with trepidation. "A pill?"

Yuka looked up as if startled from her own thoughts, her eyes zeroing in on Kagome again. Behind Kagome, while both girls were distracted with one another, Kohaku was steadily working on dislodging the chair legs pinning him to the wall. He had gotten the first two out already, and was dreading the lower legs. One of them had clipped his thigh and he was sure it was going to be a bitch to take out.

His eyes shot to the stun-gun he had dropped not far from where he was pinned. If he could just get down from the wall and over to the gun…

"Yeah. One wonderful, amazing, horrifying, poisonous pill." Yuka threw her head back and laughed, the high pitch sending chills up both Kohaku's and Kagome's necks. The laugh cut off abruptly and Yuka leaned forward, as if to share a secret. "Told me it would unlock my hidden talents, help me realize my full potential. To be psychic! No, _more_ than psychic!"

Kagome felt her shoulders trembling, sending quakes down her arms. Yuka seemed to notice it as well and she straightened to focus on them.

"They didn't tell me I wouldn't be able to control it. That in the process of becoming something great, I would lose my mind."

The admission was whisper soft and Kagome had to strain to hear it. Her head jerked back slightly when Yuka's face shot in closer, their noses nearly touching. Her eyes were still all pupil, but the expression on her face was pained. "Look at what they did to me, Kagome-chan!"

Kagome flinched at the volume so close to her ears and the small amount of spittle coming from Yuka's mouth. Before she could say anything, though she wasn't sure what to say, Yuka's gaze shot to something behind her and she let out an inhuman shriek.

" _You stay where you are!_ "

There was a loud crunch and Kagome heard another groan. She tried to turn her head to look, afraid the younger guard had been killed, but the hand on her jaw stopped her.

"He's still breathing. Still there. Don't want to hurt you, Kagome-chan." Yuka was muttering quickly, again as if crooning to a distraught child. Kagome was startled to feel tears leaking out the corner of her eyes. She hadn't even realized she was on the verge of crying.

"Yuka-chan…please…"

"Shh. Kagome-chan. It's gonna be alright." She was absently stroking her cheek, as if to calm her down, but it only made the tears come faster. A choked sob worked its way up her throat and Yuka shushed her again. "It will all be over soon."

"I'll say, you freak!"

The almost jovial shout came from behind Yuka, and the half-insane girl whirled around to stare down the barrel of a strange looking gun. Behind the gun stood a dark-haired man wearing a cocky smirk.

"Been tracking your crazy ass all the way from the East!"

Yuka let out another shriek, her energy lashing out at the man. He dodged to the left, his smirk dropping as he realized this one was faster than the others. He rolled out behind the guard's desk and let out a low whistle as the energy in pursuit of him took out a nice chunk of the pseudo marble. "Ha! Missed me!"

Yuka let out a low growl, but was distracted as someone else came charging through the door she hadn't noticed had been dismantled. She pushed her energy out further, satisfied when the other man crashed into a wall out in the corridor. Working quickly, she pulled the metal door left to the side back into place and crunched the sides together.

Her attention shifted back to the one still in the room only to panic when she realized he wasn't behind the desk anymore.

With Yuka's attention divided on so many different objects, Kagome felt the energy wrapped around her dissipate and used that moment to get out of the middle of the room. She scuttled back on her hands and feet, keeping an eye on the raging energy in front of her. Her back hit the wall and only then did she turn her head to look at Kohaku hanging limply from the wall.

Blood was pouring anew from his head wound and she was distressed to see that an even larger amount was staining his pant leg, forming a small puddle on the floor beneath him. She turned to get closer, but paused as a series of screeching bangs filled the room.

" _Where are you!?_ "

Kagome glanced over to take in the situation and realized that the man from before was missing and Yuka was on the hunt. Her eyes cut back to Kohaku and she stood on shaky legs to try to pry the chair from the wall. The damn thing was not moving. Didn't even budge as she put all her weight into it. A shaky half-sob escaped her again as she put a hand on Kohaku's shoulder, shaking it urgently.

"Taijya! Wake up!" She shook him again and examined him with her energy. She had never been trained as a medic, had never been interested in healing, but right now she wished she knew what she was doing.

"Too slow, you freak! What are you aiming at?"

Kagome ignored the continued ruckus in the room, more concerned over how pale Kohaku was. She'd never be able to face Sango again if she let her little brother die. The sharp report of gunshots rang through the air, followed by another shriek and the tinkling of broken glass. The sounds were farther away and Kagome guessed they had entered one of the labs.

"Taijya!" She shook his shoulder again and let out a short breath as he groaned and limply moved his head. "Taijya, please, wake up! Look at me!"

She lightly ran her energy over his head, flinching at the ragged feel the wound had to her senses. Biting her lip and only going off a theory, she began melding the ragged edges together, frustrated when they didn't participate willingly. She watched with bated breath as the wound slowly started to close. She stopped when it looked like it wouldn't bleed as bad as it had been.

"Dr. Higurashi…what…?" Taijya trailed off and Kagome offered him a weak smile. Before she could say anything, a loud crash sounded right behind her and she spun around to see the man from before lying in a crumpled heap in the center of the floor. The crunch of footsteps over rubble had her turning her head to see a disheveled Yuka walking slowly into the lobby.

Her eyes were trained on the man at first but quickly switched to Kagome, causing her to take an involuntary step back, running into the wall beside the pinned Kohaku. She continued forward, ignoring the unmoving man and walking towards Kagome. Her face went from the feral rage it had been in to that pain ravaged expression she had shown her before.

"Kagome…I-"

The sound of the gun going off once more resounded throughout the room and Yuka jerked to a halt, her eyes widening, even as she kept them trained on Kagome. She opened her mouth as if to speak, but a long trail of blood came out instead. Taking another hesitant step, Yuka pitched forward and fell to the ground. Behind her, still holding the gun aloft, the man let out a groan and slumped back himself.

Undecided for a moment, Kagome finally moved towards the girl she had once considered her best friend. The energy around Yuka was flailing, but it held no strength, no substance. It was dying as surely as she herself was. Feeling helpless and pitying tears fill her eyes, Kagome slowly turned Yuka onto her back, using her energy to tentatively brush against her.

Yes, Yuka had lost her mind and done some terrible things, but Kagome didn't think she deserved to die. "It's ok, Yuka-chan. You…you're gonna be ok." She didn't believe what she was saying and if the small smile on Yuka's face told her anything, she didn't believe her either.

She lifted a hand and fumbled for Kagome's letting out a sigh when Kagome clasped it with her own. _'_ _Don't let him have it.'_ Yuka whispered in her mind and Kagome felt the press of something small poke into the hand that was holding Yuka's. _'_ _Keep it safe. Always knew…the ending.'_

"Yu-yuka-chan. Hold on! You…"

Yuka's other hand came up to clumsily slide over Kagome's lips, trying to still her words.

"I jus…" Yuka's words were choked and she coughed, her eyes earnest even as they were losing their light. "I just wanted to be you."

Kagome jerked back slightly as the last breath left Yuka's body and her eyes flattened in death, staring at something over her shoulder. The loud screech of tearing metal registered to her dimly and she finally looked away from Yuka to see a stream of uniformed militia file into the room.

"It's about damn time. The hell we pay you people for anyway?!" The man who had shot Yuka, and probably saved them, grumbled from his spot on the floor and Kagome blinked as an absurdly dressed and bleeding man came flouncing into the room and proceeded to fawn over him.

"Oh, Bank! I was so worried when that freak locked me out of the room!" Kagome barely heard as the militia began asking rapid-fire questions. A grunt to her right caught her attention and she watched as two men pried the chair from the wall, catching Kohaku as he slumped to the floor. Two others were hoisting a table off someone else and Kagome belatedly realized it was Jess.

"He's still breathing!" Came the shout and Kagome jumped when someone shook her shoulder.

"Ma'am! Are you alright? Are you hurt?"

Kagome blinked and looked down at herself. Was she alright? She dimly registered someone checking her over and the mentioning of shock, but all she could think about was the earnest expression on Yuka's face before she had died.

 _"_ _I just wanted to be you."_ Repeated over and over. Her hands clenched and the same small object poked into her palm again, bringing her to the present. Her eyes focused before her and she realized a medic was asking her questions.

"…hear me? Ma'am. Are you alright? Does it hurt anywhere?" The sensation of someone's energy rolling over her own had Kagome shaking her head and snapping out of it.

"Yes, sorry. I'm…ok. Just…"

The medic smiled wryly and nodded as if in understanding. "Yeah. Looks like you went through hell. Were you attacked on the energy plane?"

Kagome shook her head and grimaced. "Not really. She…she used her energy to hold me in place." The medic nodded again.

"Squeezed you like a vice, right? Popped some cartilage in your ribcage. It's why your wheezing." The medic stood and held out a hand. "Can you stand? It'd be best to move you to med-bay. Take a look at those ribs of yours."

Kagome took the hand proffered and stood on shaky legs. The medic stood beside her, watching and waiting to see if she was stable enough, then he signaled to one of the militia men not poking around the wreckage. As she was being lead out of the lobby, Kagome shot a glance around to see Jess already on a stretcher and Kohaku being helped onto another one. The strange man and his effeminate companion were nowhere to be seen.

xXx

On a happier note, Aziza InuMiko did some lovely fanart for this and I encourage ya'll to go check it out on dokuga! Thank you very much!

Thank you for reading and please review.


	21. Chapter 21

Chapter Twenty-One

A light chime sounded in the room and Bankotsu grimaced. Sparing a glance to the two teammates he was with, he took out his screen and swiped the acceptance icon. As per usual, no image came up, but the voice could be heard just fine.

"Bankotsu. Is it done?"

"Yep. Freak's taken care of."

"And the mess left in its wake?"

Bankotsu again looked to the other two in the room who were currently in the process of rolling the body of Micah Rozzen into a bag.

"Yeah. Cleaning up now. It's a good thing Dr. Micah Rozzen suddenly decided to transfer." His snickered comment had both Jakotsu and Suikotsu looking up from their task.

"Keep your postmortem humor to a minimum. Have you taken care of the subject's body? We do not need any of this to lead back here."

"I've got Mukotsu acting as coroner. Renkotsu is pretending to be special militia sent for the investigation. There were witnesses, need us to take care of them?"

"No. We already have preemptive measures in place. The witnesses will be taken care of. Have you located the chip?"

Bankotsu paused for a moment, a frown slowly drawing across his face. "You never said anything about a chip."

"Fool! The girl had gotten ahold of sensitive information. It was why I expedited her headhunt!"

Bankotsu let out a sigh. "Yeah, yeah. I'll have Mukotsu check for your chip. She hasn't left any belongings on any of the ships she had been on, so it has to be with her still." He paused and his eyes narrowed. Or it was with that botanist…

"Fine. Notify me once the chip is in your possession. I'll send the money to the correct account then."

"Right." Bankotsu ended the line and met Jakotsu's raised eyebrow.

"Jakotsu, get ahold of Mukotsu." His eyes glittered with excitement as a thought struck him. "Let's hope for that botanist's sake that the chip is somewhere on the freak's body."

* * *

Kagome squarely met the investigator's cold stare with her own angry blues. "As I said the first time, _detective_ , she said that her 'savior' gave her some pills and she manifested psychic abilities."

The man that had introduced himself as a special investigator for the council, Mr. Renkotsu, as he had demanded she refer to him, was not listening to a word she was saying. Or rather, it seemed he didn't believe what she was telling him, and it was starting to get on her nerves.

"Miss Higurashi, people deemed civilian don't just magically develop psychic abilities." His tone was condescending and his facial features looked like they were trying to convey pity, but his eyes were hard and emotionless. "I'm finding it hard to believe that anyone could suddenly have telepathy as well as physically manifested powers. You say she destroyed the room with her _energy_? That type of ability does not exist. At least not to that extent."

Kagome grit her teeth and sat forward in the cot she had been placed on within med-bay. "Regardless of what you _believe_ , that is what happened." She narrowed her eyes when his face remained set in stone. "Have you asked Taijya? He was there, he'll confirm what I am talking about."

Renkotsu narrowed his own eyes and sat back in the chair he had been provided with. "I have, and the boy is near delirious with blood-loss. Anything he has said proved to be more fanciful than your own delusions."

Kagome let out a small gasp in anger. "Delusions?! Listen here, buddy! I-!"

She was cut off as the door to her room was opened and a nurse came bustling in. "Now, now. Miss Higurashi, you were told to keep calm. The damage done to your ribs can be healed by today, but you must keep from straining them." The nurse shot a glare to the inspector. "I'm going to have to ask that you leave for today, inspector. No doubt you have filled your screen with all the questions you've been asking. My patients need rest."

Renkotsu kept the sneer from his face, but Kagome could practically feel the malice radiating off him. He stood from the chair he had been seated in for a little over an hour and inclined his head to the nurse.

"Of course. My apologies." His voice came out stoically. His eyes roved over the nurse to meet with Kagome's once more. "Last question, if you would, Miss Higurashi?" The sarcasm he used on 'Miss' had her gritting her teeth.

"Did the attacker give you anything?"

Kagome blinked slowly and made sure to put enough irritated impatience in her expression. " _Give_ me anything? Besides some busted ribs?"

Renkotsu didn't answer but raised an eyebrow as he waited for what she would say next. Kagome felt a cold sweat start at the back of her neck, but kept her face from showing her nervousness. "No, _inspector_. Yuka didn't _give_ me anything."

Letting out a soft snort of dismissal, the man finally left the room and Kagome deflated back onto her bed. A hand lifting her fringe and resting on her forehead made her jump. She had forgotten the nurse was still in the room.

"Well, I don't like how pale you are and you seem to be sweating…should I have the doctor come in and check you over?"

Kagome pasted on a weak smile and shook her head. "No. I'm ok. Probably just tired." She paused as the nurse tutted sympathetically and fidgeted in the bed. "Um, would it be possible to leave? I mean, to go home?"

The nurse eyed the psychic. "I've read your file, Miss Higurashi. You are not good at taking care of yourself."

"Please? It's just pulled cartilage, and you said I'd be healed by the end of the day." She put on the puppy eyes Souta and herself had perfected as children. "I just want to take a shower and go to bed…"

Before the nurse could respond, there was a commotion in the hall and the door whooshed open to admit a frazzled looking Miroku. His eyes shot about the room in a panic until they rested on her. He swallowed convulsively for a moment then strode to her bedside, never taking his eyes off her.

"God, Kagome. Are you alright?" His voice was strained and Kagome let her tensed shoulders droop. Tears stung her eyes and for a moment she wasn't sure she could open her mouth without sobbing. Seeing the deteriorating expression on her face, Miroku let out a harsh breath and sat on the edge of her cot, pulling her into a gentle hug.

It was all that it took to get the waterworks going. Grimacing over his friend's emotional outpour, Miroku turned his eyes to the nurse watching from the other side of the bed. Giving him a sympathetic smile, the nurse turned and left the room. A ragged inhalation from Kagome brought his attention back to the psychic's shaking shoulders.

"Kagome…what happened?" He asked after the tears had slowed and only small hiccups were escaping her lips.

Taking in another deep breath, Kagome sat up and away from Miroku's arms, but couldn't make herself meet his gaze just yet. "I was heading to the lab after that training session with Taisho, when I felt that something was wrong…"

Miroku listened to the whole of her story, alarms ringing in his head the further she went. It was with the mentioning of a drug that could induce psychic powers that had him getting up from the bed and pacing to the door. His hand raked through his hair as he turned back to pace towards Kagome.

"You're sure she said that she was taking pills." His question didn't come out like a question, and Kagome lowered her eyebrows at the other psychic.

"Yeah." She narrowed her eyes and fisted her hands in the light blanket that had been spread over her legs a while ago. "And that _inspector_ practically told me I was crazy!"

Miroku spun around from his second pace to stare at her. "What inspector?"

Kagome blinked at the harsh tone in his voice. Miroku strode over to her side and bent to look into her eyes. "Did he show you his badge? Did you get his militia numbers?"

Kagome frowned as she tried to remember. "He showed me his badge…but I didn't really get to look at it. I never got his militia numbers…didn't even think to ask, honestly."

Miroku sat back in the chair positioned beside the bed and let out his breath slowly. He had heard about this drug. His contacts had told him about the dangerous experiments a few researchers were conducting. He had also heard about the even more dangerous people sent out behind them to clean it all up. If his intuition was right, and it almost always was, then this "inspector" was one of those dangerous people. As was the man that had shot down Yuka. And he had seen Kagome's face.

"Well, no one said this job would be easy." Miroku muttered under his breath and waved away Kagome's questioning gaze.

"Did anything else happen?"

He had mostly asked on habit, expecting Kagome to say "no" and that that would be the end of it. The long pause after his question had him shooting a glance to her face in trepidation. Kagome winced slightly and looked away.

"Ah. Well. It's not something I want to talk about here." She nearly whispered, her hand going to the small pocket at the hip of her pants. Miroku let his shoulders droop and rubbed a hand over his face.

"Right. I'll get you released." He paused and sent her a stern look. "But we aren't going to your place. We'll head to mine first, then decide from there." He held up a hand to stave off her rejection, not backing down from this.

"Regardless of what you think, Kagome, you were just attacked, and could have died. Please, take pity on me and just do what I say. Just this once."

Kagome scowled, but huffed out a reluctant agreement. "Fine, but the minute things get weird, I'm kicking your butt."

Miroku gave her a half-smile and a wink. "That just makes it all the more fun." Kagome rolled her eyes but gave a small smile back. "Now, I'm gonna go beg your release from that _charming_ nurse. Don't go anywhere."

As he walked back out the door, Kagome wasn't sure what to make of the serious tone he had to his teasing.

* * *

Naraku studied the energy before him, sifting through the complexities that made this message far more interesting than the one he had first come to decipher. His hand hovered over his screen, ready to take any notes he would have to make as he examined the object.

The one who had encrypted the armbands was meticulous. Normally, a psychic left what would be considered a fingerprint on the energy they handled. However, the layering of this energy was done almost like a surgeon; clean cut and precise.

This told Naraku that the traitor created the messages and stored them in some way before placing them on an object. After placing the energy on the object, in this case the soldier's armbands, they then sealed it up to be released after a sequence of events. Those events could be the death of the soldier, or just the simple dismemberment. Either way, the energy was kept hidden from the psychic link of the one carrying the band.

It was definitely a complex and sneaky way to do things, and Naraku found he was rather impressed. Or would have been if there wasn't a slight flaw mixed in with this particular armband. The one who had layered the energy onto the band had slipped. Almost carefully hidden amidst the rest of the energy was a small "fingerprint". Manipulating his own energy to slip along the weave before him, he carefully scooped the small disjointed fragment to the surface, allowing its signature to be recorded on the device the armband was connected to.

The composition of the energy was scanned and processed, the fact that no match was registered in the psychic database had him grinning. It looked like the hunt would be more interesting than he had previously thought.

Turning to the other two researchers milling about the lab, he motioned one of them forward. "You. Get ahold of Myouga. The energy has been deciphered and I've discovered a 'fingerprint'."

He didn't wait for a response, just turned back to the energy before him and contemplated the actual message. It seems his next mission with his team was going to be more than just poking about old fragmented rocks.

* * *

Kouga stood in the training room, tapping his foot in irritation as he impatiently waited for the link to initiate with Hakaku. His search through the Northern Fleet database was proving to be more challenging than he had previously thought. He had looked into numerous female profile's and seen over a hundred different Yumi's, but still could not find _his_ Yumi.

It was time to interrogate his partner once more.

'Yo, Kouga. What's got you so high-strung?' Hakaku asked as the link initialized, bringing Kouga back from his circular musings. 'Is it about the mission that Ginta was telling me about?'

'What? Mission?' Kouga blinked at the direction the conversation took then shook his head. 'Nah, I wasn't thinking about the mission. I was thinking about Yumi.'

'Who?' Hakaku scanned his partner's energy only half paying attention to what he was talking about. Kouga scowled down at the simulation control screen, not understanding how Hakaku could forget her for even a moment while she was stuck in his head.

'Yumi! You know the Northern soldier I've been trying to find for a couple days now?'

Hakaku let out a defeated sigh. 'Oh. Her.' The guilt he had felt in the beginning of his prank had morphed into bored irritation. 'Bro…I think it'd be best if you just left her alone. I mean, what are the odds of you hooking up with her anyway?'

Kouga scoffed as he finished putting in the code he wanted and stepped back to wait for the simulated enemy. 'Well, what if I decide to transfer?'

Hakaku infused his energy into Kouga's fists and scoffed right back at him. 'Yeah, won't happen. You're drafted to the West, dummy. You only get to transfer if it was extenuating circumstances. Besides, you'd have to find a new partner; I don't want to transfer anywhere.'

Kouga thought that over as he struck at one of the three enemies before him, taking it down and moving on to the next. 'Keh. Then I'll get her to transfer here!'

Hakaku mentally rolled his eyes and shook his head. 'Yeah, yeah. Like that would happen.' He monitored the strength Kouga was putting into his jabs and pulled back slightly. 'Too much momentum, bro.' He commented as Kouga pitched forward through an enemy's dodge, leaving his side open for attack.

Sucking on his teeth, he twisted sharply to avoid the strike and grunted at the pain the quick movement caused. Hakaku quickly soothed the strained muscles, sending the mental equivalent of a glare to his partner. 'This is why you need to keep your head in the game!'

'Hakaku. Can't you give me anything else to go on?' Kouga asked, ignoring the pleading quality he had in his voice.

'Nope.' Hakaku sent a snap of energy to Kouga's legs, boosting his speed as they dodged another enemy. 'I've got nothing else for you. Now tell me about this mission we're going on tomorrow.'

Letting his frustration out through his fists, he explained what he had been told earlier that day. 'We're going to poke around in this asteroid field. Reports say there have been Baasratu lurking about, and we are not sure why.'

'Anyone have a clue what we're going to be looking for?'

'Nope. But there is a large asteroid they are thinking could be another hollowed out base. That's where we are going to start our search.'

'What? Free-floating around an asteroid looking for an entrance?'

Kouga snorted and punched through a simulated enemy. 'Nah, got a high-tech scanner on board.' He paused as he took out two more, letting out a breath as he reached a short break. 'They want us linked incase things get hairy right away.'

Hakaku hummed in thought. 'I guess things really are different now. I kind of expected to be on clean-up detail again.'

Kouga snorted, rolling his shoulders back and preparing for the next wave. 'Yeah, the change is kinda sudden, and more dangerous. We gotta keep it together out there, Hakaku.'

'Yeah. Say's the daydreaming moron hell bent on hunting down a girl you only met once.' Hakaku snorted, keeping his tone light and teasing.

Kouga smirked and cracked his knuckles. 'You wait and see, Hakaku! I'll claim my woman for sure.'

Hakaku rolled his eyes and privately thought to himself, making sure Kouga wouldn't pick up on it. 'Not a snowballs chance in hell will Taisho allow you near his partner, bro.'

* * *

Kagome and Miroku both sat in front of his home screen, watching the images before them with varying degrees of anger and disgust. The small object that Yuka had handed over to her had been a small vid-chip, and it apparently was a video journal of a bunch of scientists using human beings in multiple psychic experiments.

A scream sounded through the room as they again watched someone injected with the drug lose their mind, only to be brutally put down by someone with one of those guns. Kagome closed her eyes and turned from the screen, having seen the same thing play out multiple times already.

Miroku leaned forward and paused the playback, his own mind sick of the stuff they had been watching for over half an hour already.

"What…what do we do with this, Miroku?" Kagome asked quietly, a hopeless fear sitting like a rock in her gut. "Where…who do we go to with this?"

Her hands trembled as she brought them up to scrub at the crusted remains of the tears she had been crying on and off the whole while. Miroku stared down at the carpet, an idea forming in his head that he wasn't quite in agreement over. With a sigh, he decided just to let it all out.

"Kagome. I know of someone we can trust with this." He started out, wondering how much he could tell her and how much trouble he would be in.

Kagome turned her eyes to her uneasy friend. "Who?"

"Well…he's sort of my mentor." Miroku paused as he considered what to tell her. "I'm…part of a group that handles this kind of thing." Seeing the horror dawning on her face he waved his hand in front of himself. "Not like that! We aren't the ones shooting people! We take on the organizations that do those kinds of experiments and shut them down."

"Shut them down how?" Kagome was picturing Miroku heading into some secret lab strapped with a bomb and blowing everything up.

"Usually through investigative work." Miroku was watching her face closely, knowing it wasn't the time to allude to the shadier side of his job. "We can get these people locked away without someone interfering or trying to cover it up."

"Can I meet this person?" Kagome asked, staring at him in determination.

Miroku sighed running his hand through his hair for what felt like the millionth time that night. "Ok." He finally allowed. "But keep in mind he's the one who raised me."

"So, a perverted old man. Got it." Kagome quipped as Miroku turned back to the screen, taking out the vid-chip and sending a link to Mushin. In a way, Miroku thought, he was kind of looking forward to the expression on the old man's face when he came face to face with the one he considered the savior of humanity.

"Dammit, boy! You have any idea what time…"

Miroku couldn't have hidden the smirk on his face if he tried. Mushin's sentence trailed off as he caught sight of a wide-eyed Kagome and his mouth hung open, looking properly gob smacked. Clearing his throat of the laughter bubbling up, Miroku lifted the vid-chip up, giving it a little wave to draw the older man's attention.

"Sorry, Mushin. But this is kind of important." Turning to Kagome, he quickly made introductions. "Kagome, my mentor Mushin. Mushin, this is Kagome Higurashi."

Mushin was opening and closing his mouth like a fish out of water before seeming to come to his senses. "Oh, uh, the pleasure is all mine!" The old man gushed as he bowed his head forward so quickly, Miroku was surprised he hadn't bashed it into the desk.

Kagome watched the flustered old man carefully, before nodding back hesitantly. "Yes. Pleased to meet you."

"Mushin. Important stuff." Miroku snapped his fingers and was treated to the enraged focus of his mentor.

"And it had damn well better be important, boy."

"Yeah, yeah. I'm sending you the vid-chip contents now." Mushin raised an eyebrow and Miroku went on to explain. "Kagome was attacked by someone experimenting with that drug."

Even though he hadn't given any details, the old man knew what he was talking about. His face smoothed over into what Miroku referred to as business mode. Mushin shot a look to Kagome, concern shining in his eyes.

"Are you alright, my dear?"

Kagome swallowed back her emotions and gave a short nod. "Yes. But my childhood friend, Yuka, was the one who suffered in all of this. Miroku said you…can take care of the people responsible, right?" She watched as Mushin's expression went neutral but continued anyway. "I just want justice for what Yuka went through."

Shooting a quick glance at his solemn apprentice, Mushin folded his hands in front of him. "I'll have to look over what you're sending me. Miroku, we will speak later." Without saying anything else, the link was cut and Kagome was left staring at the blank screen.

"So, what does that mean?" Kagome asked quietly, looking for assurance from the only other being in the room. Miroku sighed and sat back in his chair.

"It means we'll take care of it." He smiled in her direction. "You take the bed tonight; I'll sleep on the floor. We've got a mission tomorrow morning, and I have a feeling we'll need all the sleep we can get."

"Right." Kagome murmured as she stood, pulling at the sweats she had been given to sleep in for the night. "Miroku…you'll tell me what Mushin decides…won't you?"

"Kagome, I highly doubt I'd be able to keep it from you." Miroku lamented as he grabbed the spare pillow and blanket from his closet.

As they both settled in for the night, Kagome realized she was grateful Miroku had strong-armed her into staying with him. The flashes from the images the both of them had just watched had her curling into a ball under the covers. If she had been by herself…she stopped that line of thought quickly and instead focused on the steady cadence of Miroku's breathing, allowing it to lull her into sleep.

Miroku let out a sigh as he felt Kagome finally sink into the sleep her abused body desperately needed. Staring up at his darkened ceiling, he again vowed that he would keep Kagome safe. Even as that now included from the grasp of crazy psychic researchers.

* * *

Across the residential area of _Eden_ , Bankotsu let out a low curse from where he was hidden inside Kagome Higurashi's room. The message scrolling across his screen making him clench his teeth in frustration. The chip hadn't been on the freak's body.

Renkotsu had reported that the Higurashi chick had been headstrong and adamant that she knew what she had seen and heard. There had been no room for his telepathy to slip into her mind and change how she had perceived the events. As if she had trained herself to block telepaths. On top of that, Bankotsu was now ninety percent sure the bitch was in possession of the chip.

She had to be. Thus, why he was camped in the room he had already turned over, looking for said chip. He kicked at the clothes lying strewn over the floor and cursed out loud again. She had left med-bay four hours ago. Logic said she would have gone home. Or perhaps the cafeteria and then home. Either way, she should have already been there.

Unfortunately, it seemed his well thought out plan was a failure. The girl hadn't come home. So, where the hell was she?

Pulling up his screen, he shot a link to Renkotsu, scowling when he picked up. "Yo. Where the hell did that bitch go?"

Renkotsu lifted a brow, meeting his eyes coolly. "If she isn't there, then I have no idea. I only know she left med-bay."

"Find her. She has the chip. Without the chip, we don't get paid."

Renkotsu allowed a slow smirk as he straightened from the lean he had been in. "Well, why didn't you say so earlier?" He cut the link and turned to the med-bay doors he had been leaning beside. It seemed he had a mouse to hunt down.

* * *

Magatsuhi cursed silently as he held the vile filled with dark energy up to the light. There were reports that someone was investigating the armbands. Someone outside the control of the council. His eyes narrowed as he carefully set the vile down in the box meant to keep it safe and pushed it into the hidden drawer he always kept them in.

It looked like he was going to have to be more careful then he had been. Shooting one last dark glance at the hidden drawer, he pulled out the bottle of pills in his coat pocket, popping one in his mouth and swallowing it quickly.

xXx

Ugh. So, I really hate what I call "bridge chapters", the chapters that contain lots of little pieces of information to tie into the next big chapter. And that's really what this was. Probably why I decided to check over and release the other stuff I'd been fiddling with for months. Am I happy with this chapter, not really. But it needed to be written.

Sorry it's shorter than usual, but I'm pretty sure this will be my last "bridge".


	22. Chapter 22

Chapter Twenty-Two

"You're still worried about something?"

The timid question had Kimiko looking over to her nervous protégé's. The three of them had been in the process of recording their thoughts on their visions, and Kimiko was startled to realize she had been ruminating on the dreams she had been receiving while at home. Running a hand through her hair, and stalling for time, Kimiko let out a sigh at the decision she was about to make.

"Nothing that our visions have shown us in our reflection pods has me worried." She stated simply and stood from the comfortable chair she had been sitting in. "Now come along girls. I think it's high time the both of you went shopping for clothes."

Ami looked down at her clothes as if not understanding what was wrong with the shirt two sizes too big for her and the sweatpants she had on underneath it. Eri, not one to be distracted from the main issue, narrowed her eyes and squared her shoulders.

"You're not worried about the visions seen in the pods, but you are worried about a vision you have seen."

Ami shot a look to the girl she had started to think of as her own sister and then glanced to the stiff expression on the woman who had taken them in. Kimiko straightened from the lean she had been in to scoop up her coat. Her eyes met with the stubborn gleam in Eri's, and allowed a crooked smirk.

"What makes you think I'm not just having a personal problem?"

Eri swallowed back her nerves and took a deep breath. "Frankly, Lady Kimiko, you're too smart to let things in your personal life get away from you enough to stare holes in the ground thinking about them. The only thing you would have no control over would be your visions." She trailed off as she mustered all the courage she had for her next accusation. "You still see visions when you go to bed, don't you?"

Ami covered her mouth to keep the startled gasp from escaping, her eyes widened to the size of dinner plates. Kimiko kept her expression neutral as she searched the uncertain and bruised look hiding within the younger girl's eyes.

Many years ago, it had been decided that a precog that still saw visions, outside of the reflection pod, was mentally breaking down under the strain of their own power. They were to go in for immediate check-ups. Supposedly, they had medication you were to take to tone down your visions before they drove you mad.

A lot of bullshit, if you asked her. Kimiko had always known she could handle whatever her own power could dish out, and she wasn't about to let some snub-nosed idiot scientist tell her he knew more about her than she herself did. What she did know, was that the medication eventually killed your power all together and rendered you useless the older you got.

Staring now at the scared teenagers in front of her, Kimiko had an epiphany she was ashamed to not have seen before then.

"You have them as well, don't you?"

Eri stiffened in panic over the soft question and tried her damnedest to affect a neutral look. She could feel the cold sweat on her neck and back as she thought on how she could dig herself out of the hole she had jumped into. A hand, lightly resting on her head, had her mind blanking and tears forming in her eyes.

"I'm sorry I didn't see it sooner. Let's go to my office and have a proper talk, shall we?"

Ami, still tugging at her overly large shirt, felt a sense of relief now that Lady Kimiko knew their secret. She followed in step, as Kimiko reached over to lay a hand on her shoulder as well, and guided both of them to the enclosed room she used as an office.

As the door closed behind them, Kimiko lead the two to the couch off to the side of the room.

"In answer to your question; yes. The visions I have been having outside the reflection pod is bothering me. Now answer mine. How long have the both of you been having visions outside the pods?"

Eri and Ami looked to the other, both gathering courage and permission to confess something they swore never to tell anyone. Nodding at the same time, it was Eri that spoke first.

"We've been having them since the moment we met." She paused to swallow again and realized her mouth was dry. "But we only have them when we are together."

Kimiko nodded slowly as she took in the way the both of them acted together. "I see. Well, then." She crossed her legs and sat back in the opposite couch facing them. "I shall tell you what I have seen and you shall tell me what you have seen."

Eri and Ami blinked at the brush-off their confession was getting before allowing themselves to sink into the cushions in relief. They should have known that Lady Kimiko would take it all in stride. She was the one they looked up to, after all.

* * *

Kagome stood in front of her pod, staring pensively at the seat she would be laying in in just a few moments. Miroku glanced up from the adjustments he was making to his own suit and quirk a brow.

"Penny for your thoughts?"

Kagome shot a glance to the other psychic and let out a sigh.

"What am I going to tell Taisho?"

Miroku's brow creased in slight irritation. "Why do you have to tell him anything? It's not like he can change the situation."

Kagome turned to face him fully, her own scowl of irritation marring her pretty face. "That's a stupid question, Miroku. I'll be linked to the guy for several hours! The whole thing from yesterday has completely mixed me up. Especially because the 'official' report says that Yuka was just a psychotic druggy with bombs! Not a medically altered experiment that had developed weird, _dangerous_ psychic powers!"

Her voice was a harsh whisper and Miroku was faintly impressed with the high octaves she was reaching as she went on.

"Honestly, I don't know why you aren't wondering about what you are going to say to Sango-chan! It was her brother that had gotten mixed up in all of this! And I know for a fact that they haven't notified anyone off-ship about what transpired."

"That's because no one died." Miroku let out on a sigh and crossed his arms over his chest, leaning back on his pod behind him. "And I'm not telling Sango anything."

" _What_?!"

Miroku frowned down at the floor, not wanting to see the baffled accusation in his best friend's eyes. "Look. She doesn't know what happened, right? Telling her now, when we are about to embark on a dangerous mission, would be like me trying to commit suicide." He held up a hand at the incredulous look that got him.

"Sango's an emotional person. Telling her that her brother was critically wounded by a medically altered psycho psychic will do nothing but keep her mind distracted. I can't afford to make that kind of gamble with my life, Kagome."

Kagome paused as she thought on Miroku's words. He was right. This certainly wasn't the best time to tell Sango-chan her brother was in the hospital due to a psychic attack.

"Ok, fine. I see your point, but that doesn't solve my problem. What am I going to tell Taisho?"

Miroku let out an aggravated sigh and scrubbed a hand through his hair. "Do you have to tell him anything? Can't you just say you had a bad dream or something?"

Kagome frowned at the floor, thinking through her feelings. Finally coming to a decision, she raised her eyes to lock with Miroku's. "I won't lie to him."

Miroku placed a hand over his eyes, not wanting to see the determination glaring back at him. "Fine. Just tell him what you want to."

Kagome crossed her own arms across her chest. "I'm asking if I can tell him about your secret organization."

Miroku froze and allowed his hand to move so he could take in her expression.

"I had already made the decision to tell him about the attack. I wanted to know exactly what I should say about the solution we came up with. I don't want him involved in this mess, but I know he's going to worry."

"Him?! _Worry_?!" Miroku stood up straight, taking his turn to stare at Kagome in incredulousness. "Captain Taisho? Mr. I-don't-need-anybody. Mr. All-psychics-are-useless. You don't want _him_ to _worry_?!"

Kagome rolled her eyes and threw her hands up in the air. "He's a human being too, you know! If you were stuck with a partner like Hojo, wouldn't you think psychics were useless?"

Instead of throwing out the fact that the captain had gone through numerous psychics before Hojo; Miroku took in what he understood about the situation. Taisho was now linked to Kagome. Trouble magnet and supposed future savior-of-the-human-race, Kagome. It was possible the man had developed human emotion while linked with her.

"Fine, alright. Tell him what you want to, Kagome." He allowed a troubled smirk as he reached over and rumpled her hair. "Besides, he won't be able to find out anything about our organization. Who do you think we are?"

Kagome smiled at the arrogant swing Miroku put in his words and let out the anxiety she had in a breath. "Thanks, Miroku. What would I do without you?"

"Well, you'd be a hell of a lot more boring, I'll tell you that much."

Miroku climbed into his pod the exact moment Wallace came bustling through the door. "Oh, wonderful! The both of you are ready to go! Let's get this show on the road then!"

Kagome climbed into her own pod and relaxed as the top dropped and the stasis gel filled the small space.

* * *

He could tell something was wrong the moment the link was fully initialized. Her energy felt anxious and her voice sounded strained.

 _'_ _Morning, Captain Taisho.'_

 _'_ _What happened?'_

Sesshomaru cut off her greeting as the whole of his attention focused on his partner. He felt the emotional equivalent of her jerking back in shock before a wry chuckle met his "ears". His hands clenched into fists at the way she sounded, not liking the premonition it was giving him.

 _'_ _How much time do we have before the mission starts?'_

 _'_ _Thirty minutes until we reach the first point of interest.'_

Kagome let out a shaky breath and asked for something she never thought she ever would to anyone. _'_ _Can I share my memory with you?'_

Sesshomaru paused at the question. He had learned at an early age that a psychic put up barriers when they linked with another person. These barriers kept the two linked as individuals; only connected by the strands necessary to work together. What Higurashi was asking, was whether he would allow her to drop those barriers or not.

Most battle-link partners took years to amass the kind of trust it took to contemplate dropping those barriers, seeing as it exposed parts of yourself you kept hidden from others. The fact that Higurashi trusted him enough to ask, considering the short amount of time they had known each other, caused something within him to shift.

 _'_ _If you are willing.'_

She didn't say anything back, but he felt the change in the link. If he had to describe it in words, it was like feeling a flower unfurl behind you and suddenly she was wrapped around him. Not changing, but _more_.

He closed his eyes as images started coming to him, as if reliving his own memory. Hands, too small and delicate to be his own, reaching out for a bio scanner. A glance into an empty room. The door to the seemingly empty room opening and getting pulled into it against his will. The feeling of helplessness as he was held against his will under a strange psychic attack.

He watched, felt and heard as Higurashi was confronted with a changed childhood friend and the fallout that proceeded. He felt her panic as she tried to help the young guard pinned to the wall and finally her pity and sorrow as her attacker's life ebbed away. Thinking it was done, he started to pull away, but stopped at the sensation of something pressed into her palm.

The image faded and Sesshomaru found himself back in the debriefing room sitting before the table once again. _'_ _What did she give you?'_

 _'_ _A vid-chip detailing the process and experiments she went through.'_

He could sense the emotional upheaval the chip caused within her and stopped that line of questioning. Just as he was trying to think of a way to ask his next question, she answered it for him.

 _'_ _The detective sent to question me after the attack didn't believe anything I had to say. It was reported that Yuka was just a psycho with explosives and left at that. At the time, I hadn't seen the vid-chip yet, so…'_

 _'_ _You watched the chip after. Why didn't you give it to the detective?'_

 _'_ _I…He didn't…_ feel _right.'_

 _'_ _Hn.'_

Kagome let out a slight giggle over his usual response, letting her nerves settle with the sound. _'_ _Miroku came to my rescue soon after and the both of us watched it at his place.'_

Sesshomaru's fists clenched tightly in his lap, not liking the emotions another male around Higurashi made him feel.

 _'_ _Miroku.'_ He not quite asked and Kagome felt this was a good segue into the next bit of her story.

 _'_ _Yeah. A friend of mine on board_ Eden. _He's Sango Taijya's partner.'_

Sesshomaru's teeth clenched as he remembered Taijya mentioning her partner before. The fact that she had labeled him as a raging pervert stuck out vividly.

 _'_ _Turns out he's part of an organi-'_

 _'_ _You went to his room. Alone.'_

Kagome blinked as Taisho cut her off, not understanding where his line of questioning was going.

 _'_ _Uh, yeah. He's my friend and I-'_

 _'_ _Your_ friend. _'_

He cut her off again and Kagome felt the sparks of irritation ignite.

 _'_ _Yes, Taisho, my friend! I have those, you know! Now would you stop interrupting me so I can tell you about this secret organization?!'_

Sesshomaru let out a slow breath, beating his jealousy back to deal with at a later time. _'_ _Proceed.'_

 _'_ _Thanks, oh great one. Now where…oh yeah. So, it turns out that Miroku is a part of this secret organization that handles this kind of thing. We got in touch with his…superior? He's looking into the drugs now.'_

 _'_ _How convenient.'_

It was all Taisho said and Kagome felt the stirrings of trepidation. Before she could think of what to say, Butch sauntered into the debriefing room and all attention went to him.

"Alright. We're approaching the asteroid field and the scanner is being put to work. As the mission stated earlier; we have no real objective. We don't know what we're looking for, but there is weird shit going on around here. Keep your guard up."

Inuyasha snorted as he leaned back in his chair, crossing his arms behind his head. "And if we don't find anything? This whole thing seems like a waste of time."

Butch scowled at the brash soldier. "Then ya get a cookie for a job well done." He answered snidely crossing his own arms across his broad chest. "The hell you think this is? Your job is to investigate the shit higher ups tell you too. Welcome to the front lines, moron."

He ignored the angry insults coming his way and looked to the others in the room, taking in their expressions and pausing on the rather dark look coming from the normally stoic captain. When his gaze locked with molten amber, he raised a brow in silent question. The cooling of the dark emotions and his usual frosty look was his answer, so Butch turned back to the center of the room.

"If that's all, get your asses into the transport room. We're coming up on the first point of interest."

* * *

Kagura wasn't worried about the mission. Truth be told, she had no real emotion towards it to begin with. However, she was starting to rethink her stance on that due to the emotions she was getting from Hadani. He was paying an extreme amount of attention to everything showing up on the scanner.

Normally, Naraku Hadani only paid enough attention to their missions to get through it. He always had something else he was focused on while they were linked, and Kagura preferred it that way. The guy was creepy, and had weird notions on how the universe worked. She didn't want him more invested then he was while in her head.

This time, unfortunately, he was focused in on everything with laser accuracy. When the scanners had picked up an entrance to the large asteroid they were hovering by, his interest had piqued but he had shown no signs of amazement. He had known from the beginning that something was here.

Kagura kept her observations to herself, not wanting to tip the guy off with her thoughts. When they had been transported to the entrance and quickly infiltrated the place, she had been disappointed that there weren't swarms of enemies coming at them. Hadani had not been. In fact, his focus had sharpened when there weren't any signs of the enemy at all.

"Geez. Betcha this was something they were using and they just abandoned it." Inuyasha's voice carried over the mic's and Kagura nearly jumped when Naraku seemed to answer him.

 _'_ _Of course it's not abandoned. They're waiting.'_

 _'_ _Who's waiting? What are you talking about?'_ Kagura stopped walking forward as she demanded answers from her partner.

 _'_ _Oh? Finally going to ask, puppet?'_ His chuckle set her teeth on edge and Kagura called the rest of the team back to where she had stopped.

 _'_ _Spill it, Hadani. What do you know? And so help me…'_

 _'_ _Yes, yes. Threat this, threat that. I would have told you if you had asked earlier. You think I hadn't picked up on your curiosity?'_

"Yo, Kaze. What's the hold up?" Wolfe asked as the team came back to stand around her, both Taisho brothers still facing the way forward.

"Hadani says he has some information about this mission." She spat out caustically, aiming the emotion to her partner.

"What?!" Wolfe got out before exclamations from the others drowned him out.

 _'_ _My, my. What an excitable bunch we are teamed up with.'_

 _'_ _Start talking, Hadani.'_

Kagura listened as Hadani went on to explain, voicing out his words to the others.

"Hadani says he was recently recruited to this 'secret' lab. Apparently, your dad," Here she shot looks to Inuyasha and Sesshomaru, "thinks that the council is hiding a traitor." She blinked. "A traitor?! A traitor to what?! Someone's selling out confidential information to the Baasratu?!"

The other five team members watched as Kagura seemed to have a one-sided argument with herself, though knowing she was yelling at Hadani. Inuyasha took a step closer, physically trying to draw Kagura's attention.

"What the hell is this about a traitor? Who the hell would think it a good idea to team up with those bastards?!"

"Hold on, Inuyasha! I'm trying…Hadani! Stop your maniacal laughter and explain!"

There was a short pause and Sesshomaru heard Kagome murmur, _'_ _So glad I'm not Kagura. Hadani is really creepy.'_ The relief he felt at hearing her say something other than mission related information was rather ridiculous. Since the awkward tiff they had had before the mission neither of them had said more than a few words to the other.

"So, according to Hadani, a traitor has been sending encrypted messages to the Baasratu through strange energy tied in with soldier's armbands." Kagura turned to Sesshomaru, propping her hand on her hip as she cocked it to one side. "Remember the one we found on the meteor base?"

"Yes. Speed up this explanation, Kaze." Sesshomaru intoned, turning back to keep an eye on the corridor before them.

"Right. Well, they asked Hadani to come in to decipher it. Long story short, Hadani says the last message they received had to do with this asteroid field. Apparently, the traitor is dropping something off here for the Baasratu to pick up."

Kouga froze before wild excitement rose within him. Ignoring the groan coming from Hakaku, he rubbed his hands together in the universal sign for glee. "Hell yeah. At least now we know the bastards are here! Let's go hunt 'em down!"

Inuyasha was the first to jump on the bandwagon followed by Ayame and a surprisingly reluctant Sango. Kagura let out a sigh and ignored the cackle coming from her partner. She wasn't sure how it happened, but she seemed to have been surrounded by idiots when she wasn't paying attention.

 _'_ _Why would someone help the Baasratu?'_ Sesshomaru ignored the question posed by Higurashi and instead turned his full attention to the whole of the asteroid before them. The facility cut into the asteroid was a lot like the one the meteor base hidden behind the trick door had been. Turning his back to the noise behind him, he began his cautious trek forward.

 _'_ _Are you picking up anything?'_

Kagome mentally shook her head and gave Taisho the negative. _'_ _Like I've been saying; the way they built this place, I can't get any accurate energy readings from more than a couple hundred yards in front of us. From what I can feel, there is nothing. If what Kaze said is true, then I won't be able to tell if the Baasratu are attacking until they are nearly on top of us.'_

 _'_ _Hn.'_

Sesshomaru drew his saber and Kagome took it to mean they were to be on constant alert. Her curiosity spiked as she thought over what would drive a person to betray their race, and what exactly they would have delivered to their enemy.

* * *

Bankotsu clicked his tongue as he stood by the doors leading into the battle-link sector. They had high security and no amount of hacking was going to get him in there. Why did the freaking botanist have to also be a battle-link?

He had to hand it to her though, it was smart of her to stay the night with her boyfriend. Told him she had been tipped off that things were getting too dangerous for her. He could respect that, after all, the best prey was those smart enough to know they were being hunted. Giving the doors one final glance he turned back to the lift at the end of the hall.

He'd just have to wait for her to be alone. He smirked cheekily at a female tech passing by and chuckled at the blush that stained her cheeks. He'd just have to be patient, that's all.

* * *

They were a good half hour into their exploration when they realized that the corridors only branched off into other corridors. There were no rooms and Sango made the off-hand comment that it seemed they were stuck in a maze. After an hour of their search they came to realize that if it was a maze, it was far more complex than they thought.

They were just starting to feel that it was all a trap when the inevitable attack began. Kagome's swift indrawn breath and rushed warning was all Sesshomaru had to go on before he was raising his saber and decapitating the first of many rushing toward them. Amidst the wild slashing, the howling screams, and piercing energy attacks; Kouga managed to shout over the mics for them to spread out.

Sesshomaru had already been pushing through the onslaught to get a safe distance from the team to have full maneuverability in the tight corridor. He would not like to be the one to take down one of their own. The flurry of movement and attack from the Baasratu kept them all from thinking about anything except survival; running on instinct.

When it died down and Sesshomaru was severing the last limb of the last of the enemy, the corridor was dyed a garish orangey-yellow with tints of green and red.

"Holy Mother of-. Sons of bitches came out of nowhere!" Inuyasha shouted and Kikyo winced as she went over the wounds they had received. A small gash on his bicep had her a little worried.

"Everyone alive?" Kouga asked after catching his breath, relieved when he saw five human beings still standing. "Anyone critically hurt?"

"Fucker stabbed me in the arm. We got stuff to patch the suit?" Inuyasha answered immediately as he looked over the bleeding wound. Sango stepped forward with the small kit she kept with her. Ayame joined them, showing them the slash in her leg.

Kagura checked herself over, grateful all any of them got out of that were small wounds. The silence coming from Naraku had her worried.

 _'_ _What?'_ She questioned in exasperation, wishing he would just spit it out.

 _'_ _So now you wish for me to speak my thoughts, Kaze?'_ The way he curled his voice around her name had her shuddering.

 _'_ _No. I don't. But you know more about this than the rest of us and I want to survive, Hadani.'_

 _'_ _This is a strange setup. They have lured us deep into the asteroid and for what?'_

His musings seemed half completed, as if he was still working it out for himself. Before she could think of an adequate line of questioning, Kouga straightened from his lean and Inuyasha and Ayame appeared to have been patched up.

"That'll hold for now. I'll do a better job once we're ready to leave this crappy maze."

Sesshomaru again took the lead, ignoring the feel of Kagome's energy as she worked on the knotted muscles the sudden movement had caused. If their assassin training had been good for something, it was the increase to their speed. Kagome was sure they would have been toast if anyone else had been in the lead. They wouldn't have been able to react fast enough to keep the bulk of the enemy from blindsiding the team, as Sesshomaru had done.

It was ten minutes after they had set off again that they were, once more, attacked. In much the same fashion as the first time, the Baasratu came out of nowhere, hitting hard and fast, but were dispatched with relative ease. While Inuyasha and Kouga took this to be in their favor, inflating their egos with the thought that "they were just that good", Kagura and Sesshomaru were facing the grim thought that there was more to this than random attacks. This was strategy.

By the fifth time they were attacked in this similar manner, none of them were thinking optimistically. It was now that Hadani seemed to grasp it.

 _'_ _They're wearing us down.'_

Kagome, not knowing she was thinking along the same lines as Naraku, murmured something similar to Sesshomaru. _'_ _They're building up to something bad. I don't think we should go on, Taisho.'_

She was immediately ashamed of her thought, but couldn't hide the fear building with each step they took. Sesshomaru took in her thought but paid it no heed. They had to finish this. It was the mission they were given, and they were aware of it being a trap. Sensing his resolve, she let out a sigh and sent her energy forward once more, cautiously exploring before them and startled to realize she could push further than she could before.

 _'_ _There's a room ahead! Something like thirty…maybe forty Baasratu.'_

Sesshomaru relayed the information and they got ready for another battle.

The fight in the large room had been rather anticlimactic and Inuyasha was loudly complaining about it even as they looked around the place. It seemed to be a large cavern, probably built in the heart of the asteroid. Kagome figured the tunnels built around the asteroid all lead to this one room. _'_ _Maybe a secret meeting place?'_

 _'_ _Possibly.'_ Sesshomaru rumbled back, still on high alert though there were no further signs of the enemy.

"What about this thing the traitor was supposed to drop off for the Baasratu?" Kouga asked out loud, speaking the thoughts of many of them in the room. "I don't know about you guys, but I haven't seen anything but alien guts and long tunnels this whole time. I don't see anything in this cavern either. You guys picking up any hidden doors?"

Kagome, who had been searching for that very thing let out a sigh of frustration. _'_ _Nothing! Not even any traces of the usual residual Baasratu energy. It's like this place was wiped clean!'_

A thought struck Sesshomaru, and just as he was fully forming it in his mind, a movement from a curve in the room had him turning, but too late to stop the thing coming at him. A piercing pain, hot like hellfire, shot up his back and he let out a hiss, never stopping the motion of his saber as he struck whatever had attacked him down. He grit his teeth as he realized he had only clipped it, knocking it back from him in the process. Before he could lift his arm for another attack, another saber was stabbing through the thing and Sesshomaru was left with the fierce expression on his half-brother's face.

"Dammit, Ice-pop! The fuck is that thing?!"

Sesshomaru swung his gaze to something that was small, dark red, and spikey. Before he could take in anything more than that, the piercing scream of his partner hit him like a blow to the gut. Turning his full attention to Kagome, he was alarmed to realize that the energy embedded in the attack to his back was working its way through his link and to his partner.

A wave of dizziness slammed into him and he realized Inuyasha was now holding him up from the ground. The noise of the others shouting took a back seat as he tried to stop the malignant energy from reaching Kagome through their link.

Things, he would later describe as black ooze, slithered along their link, moving fast. The screams coming from Kagome were near deafening and for the first time in his life, Sesshomaru felt helpless. The more he tried to stop the energy, the further from him it got. With an upsurge of frustrated fear, Sesshomaru felt his consciousness slipping and the last thing he heard before he slammed into darkness was her desperate call.

 _'_ _SESSHOMARU!'_

* * *

Miroku ripped at the electrodes strapped to himself as he kicked the pods top up and off him, ignoring the stasis gel splashing out and onto the floor. Ten minutes he had had to wait to get out of the pod, making sure Sango was back on board the ship and Taisho's unconscious body was taken care of. His eyes swung about the room, landing on the tearstained face of Wallace.

Stumbling out of the pod, his knees slammed into the ground but he ignored that in favor of grasping onto Wallace's shoulders.

"Kagome?! Where…what happened to Kagome?!"

He was shouting in desperation, frustrated that all he was getting from the woman were strangled sobs and blubbering answers he couldn't decipher. A pair of hands grasped onto his shoulders and hauled him to his feet. Miroku looked up into the stern gaze of a very masculine nurse.

"They took Higurashi to the emergency room. She was unresponsive."

His breath whooshed out and sucked back in so fast he made himself dizzy. "I-I gotta…!"

" _You_ need to get checked out first." Waving aside any argument he made, the nurse hefted him up and dragged him out of the room. "Med-bay first, then a shower."

Knowing he wouldn't be able to get away from the hulking man, Miroku slumped, his mind still going in circles over what had happened in the last five minutes of them being in the asteroid. As they came to the med-bay doors he swore the first chance he got he was going to find Kagome and he prayed she would be alright.

xXx

Woohoo! We are finally at the parts that I have been DYING to write. This is the start of the original idea that sparked this story. I am so excited! Ahem…I hope you all enjoy it as much as I am. Thank you for reading and please review.


	23. Chapter 23

Chapter Twenty-Three

Naraku stalked down the hall, his anger a palpable entity. His crimson eyes glared sightlessly at the faceless people he passed by, daring anyone to obstruct his path. He had been misled in his deciphering of the last armband, an occurrence he would not let happen again.

His fists clenched as he mentally denied all culpability. The door to the lab the armbands were kept in was before him and he impatiently waited to enter as the bio scanner granted him entrance. He nearly stomped toward the latest acquisition to the collection, intent on looking at the energy with a new purpose.

No, it hadn't been his deciphering of the energy that had been wrong, it had been the intent of the fool behind it. His lip curled in empty satisfaction as the pieces fell into place and a different kind of anger took hold of him.

He had been content to sit back and watch the play unfold; knowing who the director was and thinking he knew what the fool was about. This latest bit of idiocy had him rethinking his own self-given role. The sound of someone questioning him from behind had his lips curling into his usual smirk. Turning to find the timid female researcher that always seemed to be in the lab, he turned his nose up, looking down on her.

"Contact Myouga. I find myself in need of an audience with the Western Fleet Commander."

It was time he put the fool down. There was only room for one of them in this universe, and it would be he that would stand on top.

* * *

Miroku let out a tired breath as he leaned against the wall of the lift, waiting for it to reach his stop. His eyes felt gritty and the last time he had run his hands over his face he had felt the beginnings of stubble. Sometime after he had been checked into med-bay, they had moved Kagome into quarantine and no one would tell him why.

They wouldn't even give him fake platitudes that everything would be just fine. Each doctor, and there had been numerous, that walked into the quarantine walked back out pale with scrunched brows. He was good at reading people; it was a skill his profession drilled into him. What each of those faces were saying, was that his friend was in a bad way and it confused and scared each of the specialists that went in to examine her.

He didn't even want to think about the fact that they had put her in quarantine to begin with.

After sitting about in the waiting area, the head doctor had come out personally to tell him to go home. She was in a somewhat stable condition and if anything changed he would be notified immediately. When he had again launched his barrage of questions, the doctor had simply shaken her head and told him she couldn't answer any of them now.

As his anger was reaching a boiling point, his fatigue long since dwindling his patience to nothing, he had caught movement behind the doctor. The same massive nurse that had dragged him into med-bay and then the showers stood leaning against the front counter. His arms were crossed and his legs bent as if in nonchalance, but his eyes were trained on the both of them.

Message sent and received, Miroku had admitted defeat for the moment and slumped out the doors. Now arriving at his floor, his exhaustion swamped his senses. His eyes remained trained on the floor, which was why he heard them before he saw them.

"I'm telling you, this isn't your average security."

"Whatever. That's just an excuse for how long you're taking. I'm telling you to move over and let me have a crack at it."

"You might be the boss, but-"

The taller of the two snapped his mouth shut mid-sentence as he caught sight of a newly energized Miroku. Adrenaline kicking into high gear, Miroku eyed the two mismatched men trying to hack the scanner that locked the door to his room.

"Something I can help you gentlemen with?" His voice was silk coated steel as his hand slowly reached for the weapon he kept concealed on him at all times.

The shorter of the two, whose back had been facing him, spun around quickly. The movement telling Miroku the man was highly trained. The placating and sheepish expression on his face told him he was practiced in more than just martial arts.

"Ah, my friend here can't get into his room! The scanner is busted, or something."

Miroku tilted his head slightly, his hair falling forward and shadowing his eyes. "Ah. That would be because that is _my_ room you are attempting to get into." The friendly smile curving his lips had just the right amount of sinister intent to send the message that he was not fooled.

The taller of the two straightened from the lock and took a more aggressive stance, but paused at the hand the younger man held up. Miroku focused on him, pegging him to be the leader of the two. His eyes narrowed when he noticed the man's gaze fixated on something over his shoulder. No, not over his shoulder, his ear.

Understanding hit and another shot of adrenaline piped into his already overly shot system. The man was looking at the earrings decorating his ear. Few people knew what they symbolized, and if the stiffened posture of the shorter man told him anything, it was that he knew. Which only meant one of two things. Either these two were part of the organization, or they were the enemy.

"Apologies, friend! We've recently moved to this ship. It appears my buddy here got his numbers mixed up!"

Miroku kept his eyes trained on them, his hand tightening around the small weapon concealed at his side. "An honest mistake, I'm sure."

The younger man bowed his head in apology, but the cocky smirk on his lips had Miroku narrowing his eyes.

"Sorry again!"

And with that he turned his back, pushing the taller man down the hall with him. Miroku watched until they were down the corridor and out of sight. His tensed frame only relaxing when he was sure he couldn't feel either of them in the vicinity.

It seemed the one who had taken out Kagome's friend knew of the chip and that she had stayed with him, more than likely leaving the chip in his room. His eyes looked over the scanner by his door, noting with satisfaction that the upgrade he had made to the system had done its job. As he entered his room and stood in the dark for a moment, he hoped the two would make another attempt to get in.

He had a lot of pent up rage and they'd be the perfect target to take it out on.

* * *

Kaede typed in the last of her observations, her eyes sliding over her screen to rest on the angry looking lesion cut jaggedly into Captain Taisho's back. When he had first been brought in, the amount of blood splattered over both Kouga and Inuyasha had been terrifying. Seeing the actual injury had kicked her into medic-mode; directing the two males on where to put her patient and how, all the while collecting things she'd need off the bat.

Getting his armored suit off had been a chore and she had been thankful that both men had stayed to help. Her first look at the wound had her thinking that, while it was bad, it was nothing she couldn't handle. Cleaning the gash and the area around it had been quick, if somewhat messy. It was when she had tried to use the gun to fuse the wound closed where things got weird.

The laceration itself refused to allow her energy to stitch the skin together.

Trying multiple times had had the same effect. At its best, the wound would look to be closing and would reopen just as she was starting to think it was working. She had been forced to use old fashioned methods and had to hand-stitch the split skin together. Thankfully, her teacher had always taught her to be prepared for any eventuality.

"How's the bastard doing?"

Kaede jumped, thoroughly shocked from her contemplations at the gruff question. Her head swiveled to stare at the awkward and conflicted expression on Inuyasha's face.

"The stitches seem to be holding for now." She answered quietly, turning back to her screen and finalizing her report.

"Any word on his partner?"

Kaede froze at the mention of Kagome, her eyes losing their focus as her brows scrunched.

"No. I won't be able to properly connect with the rest of the fleet until we dock." She swallowed her trepidation and took a deep breath, facing the younger Taisho once more. "We don't even know how this attack would have effected Kag-Higurashi. She could be perfectly fine."

Inuyasha scowled briefly, about to argue a point, but stopped as he noticed a faint tremble in the medic's shoulders. Again, he was reminded that she was only eighteen and the person they were talking about was her cousin.

"Right." He said instead and stood from the lean he had been in in the door way. "Butch says we'll be pulling into _Ragnarok_ in a couple hours. It was the nearest base with the right amenities."

Kaede gave a sharp nod and stood from her chair. "You mind watching Captain Taisho? I've been hovering here for over six hours and I need to use the bathroom."

Inuyasha scowled, but there was no real emotion behind it. More of a habit than an expression. "Yeah, yeah. Take a shower and get some coffee while you're at it. You look like shit."

Kaede shoved him as she passed, hiding the small smile from his view. So, she could kind of see what her sister liked about the idiotic oaf.

* * *

Docking at _Ragnarok_ had been more of a circus than anything. The reports they had sent ahead of their arrival had been received and the transmission that Butch had radioed ahead had been unnecessary. Apparently, the higher-ups in the Western Fleet were already aware that something drastic had happened on their mission.

This meant that Captain Taisho's psychic had, indeed, been effected. And if the amount of attention they had managed to draw meant anything, she had been effected in a bad way. Sango stood on the sidelines beside Ayame and Kagura as they watched a team of medics swarm the small medical room and load the still unresponsive Taisho onto a stretcher. The numerous machines they hooked up to him as soon as he was placed on the thing had her cringing.

Farther down the corridor, Inuyasha and Kouga had lead a different kind of team to the storage room they had thrown the body of the strange alien into. At the time, Kagura had caustically remarked she would _not_ be the one to clean out the freezer they had dumped the weird thing into.

Before any of the three girls could do anything other than watch the captain be escorted off the ship, a uniformed officer approached them.

"The three of you were part of the team inspecting the asteroid, were you not?"

"Yeah?" Kagura took a step forward, eyes narrowed in suspicion.

"I have been asked by my superiors to guide you to a meeting room."

"For what?!" Ayame nearly shouted, taking a page out of Kagura's book.

"You are required to submit your report verbally to the council." The officer shifted nervously for a moment before straightening. "All further questions will be answered there."

"Just us? What about Wolfe and Taisho?" Sango asked anyway, crossing her arms over her chest. She had been planning on getting a hold of Miroku to figure out what was going on with Kagome-chan.

"The both of them will be similarly informed. Now if you please…?" He gestured before him and Kagura scowled to see two other uniformed officers waiting to escort them further into _Ragnarok_. With a toss of her head and a disdainful sneer, Kagura proceeded down the ramp with all the grace of royalty. Sango and Ayame followed, not as graceful, but emulating the same amount of derision.

* * *

Kaede fidgeted nervously in the chair she had been directed to a while ago. The tea that had been set before her had long since cooled, going untouched. The team had been in interrogation since they had docked and Kaede knew when they were released it would be her turn.

For what seemed the thousandth time, she again looked over her report, reading the same lines over and over. 'It's going to be alright. They are just going to ask you questions you already know the answer to. You are just going in there to reiterate what you had already sent ahead. Nothing to be scared about.'

Her mental pep talk wasn't doing her nerves any good.

The sound of the door sliding open had her spinning in place to face a uniformed officer. "Dr. Higurashi. If you'll follow me, please."

She stood, clutching her screen and her jaw so tightly both her hands and teeth were protesting. Not trusting herself to open her mouth to answer, she gave a stilted nod and walked toward the soldier. Her heart thudded with each step they took down the corridor. Just as they were reaching a set of wide doors, she caught sight of her team leaving a set of doors farther down. Each of them looked haggard and worn down.

Her stomach turned over and her heart plummeted. The small mantra she had been repeating to herself died a sudden death. She nearly jumped out of her skin when a hand curled around her elbow, tugging her forward. "If you would, Dr. Higurashi."

Kaede turned a blank stare on the polite inquiry etched on the soldier's face. She could see the impatience sitting just underneath. Taking a deep breath and pulling her arm from his hold, she squared her shoulders and walked in with as much dignity as one could muster when they were about to shake apart from inside.

Her pluck failed her the moment she came face to face with what exactly awaited her in the large room. All nine shadowed members of the council as well as the four fleet commanders were projected before her on a tiered, raised dais. Her eyes skipped of shapeless projected shadows and stern, grim expressions, again hit with the seriousness of this meeting.

"Dr. Higurashi?" The fleet commander in the center of the collective was the first to speak. Seeing as he looked a hell of a lot like the Taisho brothers, Kaede felt it was safe to assume he was the Inu no Taisho. Belatedly, she realized he had been speaking to her and she rushed the last few steps to the seat she was to take before them.

"Ah, y-yes. I am she…her…Higurashi." She fumbled her words, embarrassed that they seemed to be stuck to the roof of her mouth along with her tongue.

The Inu no Taisho gave a sharp nod in acknowledgement, his expression never changing. "We are still waiting on Dr. Kendrick from _Eden_. We would like to hear your medical diagnostic of both parties as a whole."

Kaede found herself nodding like an idiot and clenched her hands into fists in her lap. Taking deep breaths, she attempted to calm herself down, focusing on the silver haired man directly in front of her. Many in the fleet had commented that Inuyasha took after his father the most, but seeing the dangerous gleam in the older man's eyes and the stoic expression, Kaede couldn't help but think they were wrong.

Clearly she was facing the future version of Sesshomaru Taisho.

Another projector flared to life and Kaede turned to take in the pale and harried doctor from _Eden_.

"Apologies for being late." Dr. Kendrick mumbled out, her eyes roving over the collective before clinging to her own in a similar relief Kaede had felt.

"Now that the both of you are here, Dr. Higurashi, we would like you to begin with your analysis of the wound sustained by one; Captain Sesshomaru Taisho."

Kaede ignored the jolt Dr. Kendrick gave at her last name and instead pulled up her report on her screen. Syncing it to the projector on her table she allowed the pictures she had taken of the injury to be shown to all present. Glancing at her earlier printed words, she felt herself sink into the medical examiner persona she always adopted when she was at work.

Describing in detail the look and feel of the injury when her patient was first brought in and progressing through the changes as she had worked to close the wound, she brought up multiple pictures taken at different angles. "As you can see, in the end I had to revert to stitching the wound by hand."

"You're saying the injury refused any kind of stimulus from outside energy?"

"Rather than refused, I would say it rebelled against any kind of outside energy. The more I tried to use, the worse the wound became."

She stopped her explanation as those before her murmured to themselves, not interested in what they were saying. Her eyes instead took in the way Dr. Kendrick was staring at the pictures of Captain Taisho's back. As if sensing her scrutiny, Kendrick let her eyes fall to meet with Kaede's. The expression in them complex and Kaede wasn't exactly sure what the older woman was trying to convey.

"Dr. Kendrick. Your report was, by far, the most disturbing in this ordeal. If you would care to explain?"

"Of course." The pictures of Taisho's back dropped and another of a small feminine back took its place. In the same place as the captain's, a long jagged slash in shades of red and purple decorated the back of one; Kagome Higurashi.

"As you can see, like all psychics wounded by Baasratu energy, a similar mark to the one received by her partner has appeared on Higurashi's back. However, this is not a psychic burn or, as it is sometimes termed, a bruise. This is a scar, cutting into the actual tissue."

Kendrick paused at the murmurs, careful to keep her eyes trained on the images she was projecting. "While troubling, in its own right, it was not something we were overly concerned with." Her eyes shot to Kaede then skittered away. "What we were concerned with were the pulses of Baasratu energy emanating from the scar."

There was a stiff silence followed by a dull roar of voices. Kaede sat staring at Kendrick with her mouth slightly open in horror. The rumble of voices got louder and Kaede distantly thought it was kind of funny to hear so many mechanically changed voices talking over one another.

"Enough!" The loud roar and loud bang of a fist smashing into marble had the room silenced once again. Inu no Taisho turned a frigid gaze to Kendrick. "You are saying that Baasratu energy is leaking out of Psychic Kagome Higurashi."

Kendrick swallowed and gave a jerky nod. "Yes, sir. We've moved her into quarantine, but frankly speaking…we don't know what to make of this."

"Is it affecting anything?" Came a mechanical question from one of the council.

"Not as of yet. As far as we can tell, it's just…pulsing."

"Pulsing how?"

Kendrick cleared her throat and sat up straight. "We have recordings taken with machines geared to measure energy output." At the impatient handwave she received from one of the fleet commanders, she rushed to project the recording.

Kaede watched with her medical examiner mindset as what appeared to be a heartbeat pulsed from Kagome's back. She blinked and her stomach roiled as she lost the profession edge she had been relying on. Her eyes slid to the grim-faced Kendrick as the council once again began their murmurs.

"And Kag-Higurashi herself? How…" She trailed off, embarrassed that her personal interest was coming to the fore. Kendrick turned sympathetic eyes her way and shook her head.

"Higurashi appears to be in a deep sleep. We thought at first that she had slipped into a psycho-paralysis, but that appears not to be the case. For all intents and purposes, it seems she is only resting."

"The energy coming from her back isn't affecting her in any other way?" The question came from the Inu no Taisho.

"No. As far as we can tell, it isn't affecting anything. But, we didn't want to take that chance, so we isolated her as best we could."

Kaede sat back, still troubled over the state her cousin was in, but relieved that she hadn't lost herself to the ether.

"Captain Taisho is in a similar state, is he not? Sans the Baasratu energy pulses, of course." One of the councilmen asked and Kaede pulled herself together.

"Yes, other than his wound refusing to heal, he is perfectly fine. There are no traces of Baasratu energy in his system. I have also done a scan on other foreign energy that may have escaped my initial inspection, but found nothing. The medical crew aboard the _Ragnarok_ have conducted their own tests. Everything found to be negative. They have even estimated he should be cognizant sometime in the early hours."

Inu no Taisho nodded, seemingly satisfied with her report. Beside him, the elderly fleet commander set to retire leaned forward.

"Now. About the thing that attacked Captain Taisho and his partner."

Kaede gave a sharp nod and pulled up an entirely different report. "As a medical examiner and practitioner, there was little I could do to classify and dissect what we found. Its body has been transported to a lab where more highly qualified scientists can further break it down, but here is what I was able to glean from it."

The picture of a small crumpled form appeared on the projections and everyone leaned forward, as if to see it properly. About a third the size of a Baasratu, it's basic structure appeared the same, if one ignored the fact that it's joints bent in the opposite direction. Its spindly limbs tapered down into three separate claws, instead of hands. The edges of its forearms were serrated, the tips of the barbs hollowed out, as if used to inject their target with something.

Its head was small and eyeless. It didn't appear to have ears, either. Its mouth was wide and its teeth appeared to be more like rows of long sharp needles. Its skin was hardened, tougher than leather but softer then shell, and the dark rusty color of old dried blood. All in all, Kaede had concluded, by sight alone, that it was a subspecies of Baasratu.

Inu no Taisho gave another sharp nod, directing his stern gaze from the pictures of the alien to both doctors. "Thank you, doctors. Your reports have given us much to think on."

Kaede stood and bowed, her hand curling over her chest in a salute, recognizing the dismissal for what it was. She didn't look to see if Kendrick had done the same, because the doors behind her had opened and the uniformed officer was back at her side, ready to escort her out of the room.

As she walked down the corridor in a daze, her mind kept circling back to the energy pulses coming from her cousin's back. What did it mean? A flash of light from outside the small window in the wall caught her eye and she turned to stare at the blinking beacon set to guide ships into the dock. Her stomach dropped and her breath left in a whoosh as a terrifying thought struck her.

* * *

Sesshomaru let out a groan as his back screamed in protest when he pushed against the mattress to get his face out of the pillow he was smashed into. Muted sounds rolled over his ears and he wondered if the ringing in his head was what was keeping him from hearing properly. As he struggled to rise, multiple sets of hands pushed him back down.

He let out a growl as he realized he was too weak to do anything else.

"Easy there, ice-prick. You're gonna pull your stitches."

One glacial amber eye made it out of the synthetic cotton to glare at the blurry figure that was his half-brother.

"Don't give _me_ that look. Doc's orders. Your back's all kindsa fucked up."

"How poetic of you, Inuyasha." A snide feminine voice had Sesshomaru frowning. Exactly how many people were in the room? He blinked his eyes slowly, relieved when the fuzzy film fell away and he could see clearly.

He turned his head to see Inuyasha arguing with Kaze and Shiro on one side of him. On the other side stood a worried looking Taijya.

"Would you like some water, Captain?" Her voice was low, out of respect he thought, but with the racket the moron was making, it was rather redundant. A hoarse hum came from him in answer and a straw attached to a cup of water was thrust into his face. Ignoring the indignity of drinking from a straw, his thirst far outweighed any kind of embarrassment.

"I have to say, Captain. You're awake a couple of hours before you were supposed to be." Shiro let out in a huff as she threw herself into one of the chairs stationed around his bed. Letting out another grunt, he again attempted to lever himself into a sitting position, throwing off the hands reaching out to restrain him.

He swung his feet over the side of the bed, cursing the feeling of hellfire tracing over his spine. His eyes opened from the screwed-up position they had been in and he immediately sought the only one who could possibly give him any answers.

"Higurashi." He not-quite-asked Taijya, his eyes now a dark gold. "How is Higurashi."

Sango gulped at the look she was being pinned with, reminded of the fleet commander inquisition she had had to sit through not too long ago. "They won't tell us." She whispered, watching in shock as actual emotion moved across the man's face.

Letting out his breath slowly and dragging it back in, just as slow, Sesshomaru moved as if to stand and was immediately irritated when two sets of muscular hands held him down.

"Jeez! I go to take a piss for five minutes and you're already trying to jump out of bed. Fucking over achiever."

Sesshomaru glared over his shoulder at Wolfe, rolling it to dislodge his hand from his person.

"Hate to say it, but Wolfe's got a point, ice cube. With your back nearly split in two, you ain't going nowhere for a while."

"Like hell either of you will be able to stop me." The rumbled threat had all of them pausing. Before anyone could do or say anything, the door to the private medical room whooshed open and an overly dramatic voice floated in.

"Ooh! Taisho! We heard you had been hurt~!"

Inuyasha blinked at the small flash of horror that had crossed his older brother's eyes. He turned in anticipation to see who could have possibly unsettled the ice block and blinked at the sight of two middle-aged women. One looking reserved and dignified, the other was winking salaciously at Wolfe.

"And who are your strapping friends?"

"Lydia."

Sesshomaru deflated on the bed, the nausea from the pain in his back rushing into his head all at once. "Kitakawa." He intoned by way of greeting and ignored the pout coming from the tech.

"Well, Captain Taisho. Tell us, what the hell happened?"

* * *

Miroku awoke to the sounds of a muted alarm and running feet. Heart hammering in adrenaline he really didn't think was good for him, he stumbled into a pair of pants and raked his fingers through his hair even as he opened his door. The sight of panicked people running every which way had him blinking in a stupor before his thoughts kick-started.

"Hey! The hell is going on?" He shouted when he caught the gaze of a uniformed guard rushing down the hall.

The guard opened his mouth, as if to answer but another rush of people and unintelligible screams drowned him out. Scowling at the madness, he strained to pick up pieces of shouted conversation.

"…here!?"

"Can see…garden!"

Brows lowered in consternation, he jammed his feet into his boots and locked his door. There was a rush of people heading for the glass-walled corridor surrounding the botanical garden and he easily slipped in among them, surprised at the light jog he was forced into.

They rounded a couple of bends, and Miroku cringed each time he heard others crash into the wall, forced by momentum and the crush of other bodies. The corridor was just ahead, and he lost his breath as he slammed head-long into those in front of him. Growling under his breath he elbowed and jabbed his way through the packed masses, taking in the anxiety and fear permeating the atmosphere the closer he got to his target.

He spied an empty space in front and squeezed through, falling forward on his knees. For a moment, the only sound he heard was his own breathing and he looked around to see everyone else staring in muted horror at something above them. Following their gaze, his own breath froze in his lungs at the sight before them.

For there, hovering above the Goshinboku, was a fleet of Baasratu warships.

xXx

Ok. So, the plot is gonna hit you guys hard and heavy now. My apologies for the errors here and there. I don't have a beta and I try to catch what I can before I post. My bad. I'll probably go through and edit this once it's completed or something.

You guys' reviews had me laughing and rubbing my hands together in glee. Not going to lie! I love reading speculation, it's my favorite. I'd like to say welcome back to my buddy; you know who you are. I want to thank all of you for your wonderful reviews and I hope you continue to enjoy as I build up to the climax of the story!

Thank you so much for reading and please review!


	24. Chapter 24

Chapter Twenty-Four

Rin was almost positive this was the worst day she had ever had. She had gotten up later that morning than usual, taking advantage of the last day of the holiday from the center. A chime from her screen had caught her attention. Leaving the bathroom to check it, she was struck dumb at the short message sent to her from her guidance counselor.

 _'_ _Micah Rozzen has transferred off-ship. Your apprenticeship in the botanical gardens is suspended.'_

Toothbrush still in her mouth, all she could do was stare at the message. Panic finally kicking her in the rear, she had rushed through the rest of her morning ritual. Pulling half of her hair back into a ponytail, she was in such a rush she didn't even realize it was crooked.

'Where the heck did Micah go?! And why didn't she tell me ahead of time? What do they mean my apprenticeship is suspended?!'

Her heart was pounding the whole way to the learning center. Clutching her screen with whitened knuckles she walked up to the front desk, her breathing heavy. The secretary behind the counter was eyeing her with trepidation, so she had pasted on the brightest smile she could have managed.

"Hi! Um, is it possible to speak with Mrs. Hamerson?"

Still staring at her with suspicion, the secretary clasped her hands in front of her on the counter. "The center is closed for the holidays, Miss…?"

"Oh, Rin! Rin Inoue!"

Before Rin could explain any further, a flash of understanding had lit the woman's eyes and she had looked down at the touch screen in front of her. "Oh, yes. Mrs. Hamerson has mentioned that you might be stopping by. Allow me to ask if she is receiving anyone right now."

The meeting with her guidance counselor had not gone as Rin had hoped.

 _"_ _I'm sorry, Miss Inoue. There are no other botanists capable of taking on a student in the civilian class. You will have to choose another field to apprentice in. Judging by your scores and interests, this is what you have available…"_

 _"_ _C-couldn't I ask someone…? I mean, this is the center of-"_

 _"_ _Yes. The center of terraforming research and development. As such, the botanists hired on here do not have the time to hold someone else's hand." Mrs. Hamerson had paused at the crestfallen look on the teenager's face. "I'm sorry that the only one able to take on your apprenticeship has transferred. If it were possible, I would recommend a transfer for you as well, but your circumstances…"_

 _"_ _Because I'm an orphan." Rin cut in bitterly, scrunching her brows and twisting her lips into a painful smile. "I understand."_

 _Mrs. Hamerson cleared in her throat, clearly uncomfortable and transferred multiple files to her screen. "Look through those and notify me of your decision before the day's end. We will have to completely reschedule your lessons."_

Rin had bowed out of the office, staring blankly at the ground as she walked out of the center's front doors. Micah was gone and with her, her dream of working in botany. Her screen hung limply in her hand, and she couldn't bring herself to look through the files on different designations. Without much thought, her feet lead her to the lifts and she found herself heading toward the only place she had ever really felt happy. The hothouse laboratories.

Entrenched in her own misery, she didn't notice the unusual amount of uniformed militia lining the halls. It wasn't until she stumbled over a large chunk of the wall that she even realized something was wrong. Snapped out of her thoughts, her eyes took in the scene of destruction that was once the lobby of the labs.

A hand gently grabbed a hold of her elbow, helping her up from the floor, and Rin swung her gaze to the concerned expression on the officer beside her.

"Are you alright, miss?"

"What… _happened_?!"

Before the guard could respond to her dazed question, another, familiar, voice floated from the other side of the room.

"Rin? What are you doing here?"

Rin again turned her head to catch a glimpse of flashing green eyes under furrowed brows and a long tail of red hair. Shippo gingerly stepped over the debris littering the floor, making his way to the two standing in the doorway. The officer straightened from Rin and retook his position in the hall.

"Rin, you aren't supposed to be here." Shippo muttered, standing in front of her view of the room, but she leaned around him, trying to take it all in. The floor was a mess, the front desk was in pieces, and she wasn't for sure, but the large dark stain on the wall looked an awful lot like dried blood.

"Shippo…what happened?" She asked again and Shippo let out a harsh sigh, scratching the back of his head.

"I was told that a psycho with bombs decided this would be a fun place to blow sh-stuff up." Shippo grumbled. Rin thought she heard him mutter "Bullshit!" under his breath.

"A…psycho? With _bombs_?!"

Sensing hysteria, Shippo had grabbed a hold of her arm and turned her around. "Be right back!" He shouted over his shoulder, not acknowledging the shouts that came back from the other engineers on sight.

"W-wait…!" Rin tugged on her arm, half turning back to keep the room in sight.

"C'mon." Shippo tugged back. "I'll explain it to you in the cafeteria. I haven't had any caffeine and I've been up to my eyeballs in garbage all morning."

Rin's stomach had chosen that moment to protest its own forced fasting and Rin had blushed. As they got on the lift a thought struck her. "Oh, no! What about the botanists? Is Dr. Higurashi alright? W-what about Kohaku-kun?!"

Shippo scowled at the mention of Kohaku- _kun_ , but before he could say anything, she continued her questions.

"And what about their research? The plants?! Are they okay?! Why would someone want to _bomb_ the research labs?!"

"Hang on, alright?!" Shippo shouted over her and sighed at the sheepish look she gave back. "Let's get some food and coffee, and then we can talk. Quietly." He muttered the last as he took in the way the cafeteria was packed with people.

They had chosen a table in the corner of the room, and Shippo had begun to explain things as they sat with their food.

"I was told last night that there had been an attack on the labs. The psycho had, apparently, walked into the lobby and decided to blow things up. There had been a few damaged pods, and the botanists in charge of the research have already been notified of the destruction."

"Was anyone hurt?" Rin asked slowly, taking a sip of her tea and eyeing the younger engineer closely.

Shippo frowned, setting his own coffee down. "Yeah. Kagome, Taijya and a Dr. Rodgers were admitted to med-bay last night. Kagome was released soon after, but the other two were in pretty bad shape. Rodgers is in a coma and Taijya was pretty cut up. They were both in intensive care, but I heard Taijya was moved out this morning to the regular medical wing."

Rin looked down at the table, fighting back the tears filling her eyes. "Well, at least Dr. Higurashi is alright, and Kohaku-kun is recovering."

The silence between them was almost painful and Shippo shifted uncomfortably in his chair. Rin took a deep breath and lifted her gaze, finally feeling like she had beaten back her tears for the time being. "So, what were you doing there?"

Shippo puffed himself up a bit, arrogance lining his face. "I'm head engineer, of course! It's my job to direct everyone when stuff like this happens."

A disbelieving look crossed Rin's face as she stared back. " _You_ are head engineer?"

A scowl crossed Shippo's face and he crossed his arms. "Why does no one ever believe me?"

Rin sighed and shook her head, deciding to let the matter go. Glancing to her half-finished plate she decided she wasn't hungry anymore. She had lost her designation; the hothouse had been destroyed and her secret crush had been in intensive care. Her shoulders drooped and her breath left in a long silent sigh.

"Hey…is something else wrong?" Shippo's question had her looking back up and pasting on the fake smile that seemed to be getting more use these days. The frown he shot back told her he wasn't fooled and she let out another sigh.

"I'll be alright. It's just been one of those days."

"You know, you can tell me." Shippo mumbled his cheeks taking on a slight flush. Rin allowed a genuine smile as she shook her head.

"Thanks anyways, Shippo. You're a good friend." Shippo's shoulders slumped. "I think I'm going to go see if I can visit Kohaku-kun. Make sure he's alright." If anything, this had Shippo scowling again.

"Right. Kohaku- _kun_." He muttered as they both stood. A loud clatter and startled gasps had him looking over to see that Rin had backed into someone and something that resembled pea soup was currently dribbling down her hair and over the back of her pink sweater.

"Oh, man! My bad! You alright, little girl?" The man, that had lost his lunch over Rin, asked in astonishment as he bent to pick up the tray and bowl on the floor.

Rin swallowed back the onrush of tears, _again_ , and let out a shaky laugh. "Yeah. Sorry about that." She apologized and bent to help him pick up his utensils. The feeling of someone wiping at her hair had her looking up to see a scowling Shippo holding onto a bunch of napkins.

"Jeez. You really are having one of those days, huh?"

A strangled sob slipped from Rin's lips and she ducked her head. Shooting to her feet, she made a beeline for the cafeteria doors, running down the hall until she made it to the lift. Her ride to the residential area had seemed to take forever as she fought off more sobs and tried to ignore the pitying glances.

She had let herself go in the shower as she washed the green gunk from her hair, allowing her tears to be washed down the drain as well. Though she was tired afterwards, as she pulled on a new set of clothes and pulled her hair back into a ponytail, she decided she would go check on Kohaku-kun after all.

As she opened her door, she was startled to see an anxious Shippo standing in front of her. Seeing her red eyes and tired expression, he looked away and held up his hand.

"You left your screen behind." He said by way of explanation and Rin took it back hesitatingly. Her eyes shifted from her screen to the averted face in front of her.

"Thanks."

"Yeah. No problem. Uh…I gotta…get back…" Shippo mumbled out and turned around, waving his hand awkwardly in the air and escaping back down the hall. He never could deal with crying girls. Rin watched him go with a blank expression before shaking her head. She was going to see Kohaku-kun.

The nurse behind the counter in the lobby had been all too helpful, shooting her sympathetic glances that Rin could only surmise was because it looked like she had been crying.

"Since Taijya has no family on-ship, I'm sure he'll be thrilled that his girlfriend is here to see him." The nurse had gushed as she pointed out the room he was in and directed her to the back doors. Rin had blinked several times and looked around in confusion.

"His girlfriend?" Her question went unanswered as the nurse was already back behind the counter and dealing with another person. A blush fired up her cheeks and she slapped her hands over them. Now was no time to slip into a fantasy! She berated herself as she turned and followed the nurse's directions, stopping before the room Taijya was supposed to be in.

She placed her hand on the scanner and marveled at how silently the door opened. Her eyes trailed over the nearly barren room, stopping at the bed in the center and the bandaged boy lying in it. Taking small, quiet steps, she made her way to the lone chair by the bed. Kohaku-kun was asleep, as she had thought, so she sat down in the chair, allowing her eyes to take in the damage.

"Guess you're having a bad day too, huh?" Her voice echoed slightly in the room and she allowed herself to slump in the chair. Her screen let out a soft chime and she looked down to see another message from Mrs. Hamerson in her inbox.

"Ah, Kohaku-kun. What do I do now?" Rin asked quietly, his slow even breathing was her only answer. She studied his facial features, leaning forward to rest her arms on the side of the bed. "I don't want to choose another designation." She whispered as she rested her chin on top of her arms, keeping her eyes on his face.

The soft beeping of the machines he was hooked up to, as well as his deep breaths, were soothing and she found it hard to keep her eyes open. Deciding it wouldn't hurt to close them for a few minutes, she did just that.

The sound of running footsteps and alarmed voices had her shooting up in her seat. She must have fallen asleep because the lights in the room were slightly dimmed. Rubbing her eyes, she turned her attention to the door and where the ruckus was coming from. Standing from her chair, she made her way to the door, opening it to find out what was going on.

A cluster of four nurses stood a little way from Kohaku-kun's room.

"I'm telling you, they saw it!"

"You're lying! There is no _way_ that a whole fleet-"

"Dianne! They've already locked down the medic ward! All the outside doors have been shut and an evacuation plan has been put into motion!"

"But…this is _impossible_!"

"What's going on?" Rin interrupted the flustered women and felt her stomach drop at the alarmed expressions on their faces. Instead of answering, each woman looked to the other before one of them took a step in her direction, raising her hands as if to placate her.

"Um. Nothing to worry about. Just…go back to…"

"Oh, Jillian, please! She's not stupid!"

"I don't want her to panic!"

"Well, she will anyway! Hell, _we're_ panicking!"

"Will someone please tell me what's going on?"

Rin took a step back as the more aggressive of the four whirled to face her. "There is a fleet of enemy ships above _Eden_ and we're all going to be boarding escape pods."

Rin ignored the protestation of the other nurses as her heart dropped to her toes to join her stomach and her breath left in a whoosh. Apparently, this was, indeed, the worst day she had ever had.

* * *

Bankotsu peaked around the large storage container. The panicked and frenzied masses had him biting back a groan. He had known that the port would be a mess, but this was beyond what he had imagined.

Finding out the botanist's boyfriend was a part of that…cult…had been a setback. He had known, if they were patient, they would eventually get a hold of that chip, and thus get paid. However, no amount of patience would get them through a _freaking_ Baasratu attack! As soon as word had gotten to him and the ships had been seen with his own eyes, he had decided his team would cut their losses and get the hell out of there.

They could always threaten their client for the money later.

Standing in one of the hangers now, watching the uncoordinated militia and port-side workers, he knew they'd never get out. Not before the Baasratu made their move.

"Bank! Let's just get on one of the escape pods! We can come back for _Banryu_ after this madness! When the Baasratu are gone. And we're still alive."

He ignored the whining coming from Jakotsu as he thought over their situation, but grabbed a hold of his arm when he began to shake his shoulder.

"Shut up, Jakotsu! Your whining is giving me a headache." A harsh voice came from behind them and Jakotsu turned to glare at Renkotsu. Before he could open his mouth to begin his own volley, Bankotsu turned his attention to the both of them.

"Jakotsu. Head up to the observation deck overlooking the launch."

"Okay, Bank. But what am I watching for?"

"You'll know it when you see it."

Shrugging his shoulders, Jakotsu turned to follow orders, shooting a nasty glance at the narrow-eyed Renkotsu. He sashayed across the hanger, deftly dodging the panicked masses, and made his way up the staircase leading to the large observation windows facing outside the port. Finding a spot away from the clusters of others, he set about looking for whatever it was Bankotsu wanted him watching for.

A dull roar caught his attention and he turned to watch as the first of the fleeing ships left the launch. He continued to watch as the ship left the port through the large window. He narrowed his eyes as something strange caught his attention.

"What the fuck?!"

A port-side worker beside him clutched the railing as the both of them leaned forward, making sure their eyes weren't playing tricks on them. In front of the port launch was the ship, thrusters on full, yet it wasn't going anywhere. Jakotsu clenched his fists and took a deep breath, burying his panic.

"Is…is that a…?"

"Yes. It's an energy net." Jakotsu affirmed, staring grimly at the dark black energy barrier the ship was stuck in. "We aren't going anywhere." A flash caught his eyes and he turned to watch as escape pods were launched from the side, only to get stuck in the same barrier. Like flies on flypaper. His eyes scaled up the window, catching the tell-tale flicker of the barrier, trying to see if there was an end to it.

Not seeing an edge, as far as the window allowed, resignation settled in his chest. They had surrounded _Eden_ with a large barrier. Turning from the window, he made his way to the staircase. He ignored the loud exclamations of those around him, calling to those below, as he jostled his way down the stairs and back to his teammates sides.

Seeing the expression on Jakotsu's face when he returned, Bankotsu let out a silent curse and turned back to watch as a new wave of alarm swept through the over-full hanger. "I knew it. The Baasratu would never let the enemy escape. Not when they went through the trouble of appearing right on top of us."

"What do we do, Bank?"

The desolate tone in his effeminate teammate's voice had him turning back. He took a deep breath and looked over to Renkotsu. "I'm going to call back Mukotsu and Suikotsu. I want you to get on _Banryu_ and make sure Ginkotsu is online."

Renkotsu gave a short nod in affirmation before quickly making his way to where their ship was docked. Jakotsu watched him go with a frown and turned to Bankotsu when he was sure the taller man was out of earshot.

"Is it a good idea to have that cyborg up and running?"

Bankotsu turned a sardonic eye on Jakotsu and gave him a sharp grin. "If the bastards are going to attack, we better have as much firepower as we can. We ain't dying here."

Jakotsu let out a sigh and put his hands on his hips. "I swear, Bank. This is the _last_ time I agree to leave my safe, cushy job to go on a mission with you!"

* * *

Miroku watched as more pods were launched in a futile attempt at escape, only to get caught in the net stretching over _Eden_. After the initial shock of seeing the enemy at their doorstep, Miroku had immediately made his way back to his room and attempted a call out to Mushin.

It never went through.

Their etherlink was jammed, and a few attempts to other numbers he had saved told him that local communications were also out. He had overheard from a few of the militia that they couldn't get a hold of the higher ranks and the doors to the helm of the ship were firmly locked. Due to emergency protocol, many of the ships branches had been locked down as well. The medical ward was sealed off, and this was his biggest problem.

Kagome was somewhere in the center of the sealed off ward, and he was left in the residential sector.

The sound of someone shouting over the din caught his attention and he turned to see what was going on. A uniformed officer, probably the highest ranking of those milling about, was calling for everyone's attention.

"Quiet please! Quiet! Everyone! I would like to ask that everyone make their way to the northern cafeteria. We are trying to get a count of everyone, before-"

"Before we're attacked?! What does that matter?!" The shout came from the crowd anonymously and Miroku watched as things began to escalate once more. The officer was shouting again, but the crowd wasn't going to be tamed this time.

"Enough! Shut the hell up!" The ferocious roar came from behind and everyone turned to face a scowling woman wearing top-brass regalia. She stomped her way to the trembling officer on his "soap-box" and turned to face the intimidated crowd.

"You wanna live?" Hesitating at the implied assent, she continued before anyone could make a sound. "Then get your asses over to the northern cafeteria. You run into anyone, you tell them the same. Now, move!"

As a whole, everyone scattered. Small mutterings were heard here and there, but no one was making eye-contact with the woman. Miroku allowed an appreciative smirk, before he turned and slipped into the dispersing crowd. Before he could get far, a hand clamped onto his shoulder and jerked him around.

"You a psychic?" Miroku allowed his eyes to focus and found it was the uniformed woman gripping his arm. Before he could answer, his clothes speaking for him, the woman went on. "Head to the battle-link sector. We gotta get prepared before the Baasratu start their attack."

Not waiting for him to say anything, the woman spun back around and marched off down the hall, a group of simpering militia following in her wake like lap-dogs. Miroku frowned as he watched them and waited for her to turn a corner before continuing in the direction he was going. Now that he knew everyone would be out of his hair and preoccupied elsewhere, it was time he put his hacking skills to use.

He had one job on this ship that overrode all others: protect Kagome. And that was what he was going to do.

* * *

"So, you're on this weird mission, in this equally weird asteroid, and you get attacked by a weird unknown alien, that may or may not be, related to the Baasratu?"

"Jeez, lady! Are ya deaf?! That's what we've been telling you!"

Lydia turned to the younger Taisho with her nose in the air and a disdainful look in her eye. "I'm just making sure I've got the facts straight, junior. Keep your panties on."

Before this could explode into another argument, Midoriko placed a hand on Inuyasha's shoulder, effectively silencing him. Her eyes, however, remained trained on the elder Taisho. "What happened when you were attacked?"

The flash of pain in amber fire and the way he hesitated told Midoriko more than he probably thought. Before he could answer, the door to the overly crowded medical room opened and a pale Kaede stepped through.

"I'd like to hear this as well." She said softly, moving to take an abandoned seat by the bed. "Please, Captain Taisho. What happened to your link when that thing attacked you?"

Sesshomaru's hands clenched into fists and his eyes trained on the blanket thrown over his legs. The echo of Kagome's agonized scream reverberated in his ears and he grit his teeth. Haltingly he described the way it felt: like slick, burning oil, sliding along his nerve-endings and racing through the psychic link he had with his partner. His voice was monotone, as if reciting from a script, but the brief pauses interspersed throughout said more.

Sango felt a shudder work its way up her spine and looked away from the emotion burning in the captain's eyes. Beside where she stood, Kaede let out a sigh, her eyes screwed shut. The silence was a living thing in the room, as if no one dared to even breathe.

"You know something."

Kaede looked up to Sesshomaru's piercing stare and bit her lip, wondering if she was allowed to say anything. The narrowing of the captain's eyes made that decision for her and she took in a deep breath.

"Baasratu energy is currently…pulsing from the wound Kagome received in the attack."

Sesshomaru stiffened and his eyes remained trained on the medic, though Kaede knew his sight had turned inward.

"The hell you mean it's pulsing from her wound?!" Inuyasha nearly shouted and Midoriko again put a hand on his shoulder to restrain him.

"You are sure it was pulsing from her wound?" The question caught everyone's attention and all eyes swiveled to stare at the rather calm, middle-aged psychic. Kaede blinked, a frown pulling the corners of her lips down.

"Uh, yeah. They placed her in quarantine and measured the energy. The place of origin was definitely the scar."

"Scar?" Sango interrupted, confusion evident in her tone. "I thought Baasratu energy _bruised_ the psychic partner?"

Kaede, frown still in place, shrugged. "This attack _scarred_ Kagome. Like she had been the one to take the actual hit."

As the conversation further derailed, Midoriko stood back from the others, lost in her contemplations. She didn't notice the narrowed amber eyes watching her like a hawk. Before he could call attention to the psychic, the door to the room was opened once more and a winded Butch stood leaning heavily against the jamb, breathing as if he had been without air for too long.

"The hell's wrong with you?!" Kouga got out before the large man stumbled into the room and made his way to the screen fixated on the wall in front of the bed. Switching it on, he mumbled out: "You gotta see this shit! Couldn't believe it, myself!"

Before anyone could ask any questions, an ether news report was blaring through the room, the sight of Baasratu warships hovering over a barely seen black orb filled the screen. Brows raised in confusion, Inuyasha turned to a wheezing Butch. "And what the hell is this?"

" _That,_ " Butch began, "is _Eden_."

The words coming from the screen managed to make sense at the same time, and Sesshomaru felt as if all the air had been sucked from the room. _Kagome_ was on _Eden_.

"How the _fuck_ did they get to _Eden_?!"

"Dunno. Report said they just _appeared_ above it."

"Oh, God." Kaede mumbled, her face bleached white and her hands clasped in front of her. "It was a beacon. They used Kagome as a _beacon_."

Sesshomaru grabbed a hold of the medic, giving her a sharp shake to gain her focus. "What are you talking about?"

"T-the pulsing! From her back! I-I thought it could be possible…! I mean…it wasn't doing anything but _pulsing_ …!"

"They got to _Eden_." Midoriko stated calmly, turning the volume of the screen down and facing the sets of eyes aimed in her direction. "Lydia, I need to get in touch with Hideaki."

"Already on it, boss." Lydia murmured, her fingers flying over her screen.

"Kitakawa." Sesshomaru demanded silently and Midoriko let out a sigh.

"I can answer all your questions later, Taisho. For now, I need to know if you are able to act. Is that wound on your back going to slow us down?"

His furrowed brows smoothed and an arrogant light flashed in his eyes. Sliding his feet over the edge of the bed, he slowly stood, as if in answer. Kaede let out a harsh sigh and glared at the faint stitching she could see from his profile. "Those stitches won't hold the way you'll want them too. We got some industrial stuff here that should hold better. Hang on and I'll grab it."

Inuyasha moved over to Sesshomaru's side as Kaede left the room, putting his hand on his half-brother's shoulder and pushing him back down onto the bed.

"Yeah, yeah. We know you're a badass, now sit down so the doc can fix you up."

"Midoriko. I've got a line to the Inu no Taisho."

"Patch it through to the big screen, please." Midoriko requested as she turned from the mini-drama taking place in the room. She schooled her expression into one of poise and folded her hands in front of her.

"Kitakawa, you better have a damn good reason for interrupting me right now." The smooth rumble filled the room before his image appeared and both brothers sat at attention.

"Yes. I've just seen the report on _Eden_." She kept her face neutral as she studied the way the Western Commander seemed to be up in arms. "I think it's time _it_ was used."

The long pause on the other end had the silence in the room filling with anxiety.

"And who will be manning _it_." He not quite asked as his eyes slid from the psychic to the people clustered around her. His narrowed gaze slid seamlessly over his sons and their teammates. "I'll not have a damaged team sent into such a delicate situation."

Inuyasha and Kouga both opened their mouths to refute his claim, but Midoriko managed to cut them off.

"Then it's a good thing we are on short supply of damaged teams." She answered curtly, gaining a raised brow from the commander.

"Two of this team have partners stationed on _Eden_."

"Conveniently, we have psychics on hand they can use."

The Inu no Taisho's lips quirked into a faint smirk. "You always have a smart-assed retort, don't you?"

"Learned from the best. Have to cover all of my bases." Midoriko allowed, sensing the largest hurdle in this had just been cleared.

Inu no Taisho again allowed his eyes to rove over the collected group, finally settling on a pair of amber orbs much like his own. The hard resolve, and something extra burning just behind it, had him letting out a sigh of acquiescence.

"Very well. Permission granted. The rest of the fleet will be duly noted."

Midoriko curled her hand just below her shoulder in a salute and the link was dropped. Lydia let out a loud whoop, effectively breaking everyone from their tense stances.

"Heck yeah!"

"What is _it_." Sesshomaru interrupted Lydia, his eyes trained on the older psychic. Midoriko turned to the wounded captain just as Kaede came rushing back into the room.

"Alright, Taisho. This is going to sting." She said shortly as she stepped around the side of the bed, kneeling behind him. "It's not going to look pretty when it heals, but it's the only thing that will seal this thing up." She paused and leaned around him to look up at his profile. "Still want to go through with it?"

Never breaking eye contact with Kitakawa, he gave a short nod. Kaede took a deep breath and let it out as she lifted the gun and proceeded to seal the wound closed. The smell of burning flesh filled the room and Sesshomaru flinched, but his eyes stayed focused on the psychic.

"Jeez. You're just burning it closed?!" Inuyasha yelped, covering his nose with his hand and backing away from the bed. Kaede sent him a sharp glance and finished up.

"Not like how you think. It's a chemical compound that fuses the flesh together."

"Looked like it was melting his skin!" Kouga gagged, having watched in horror.

Sesshomaru ignored the burning in his back and stood. Midoriko took this to mean he was getting impatient and gave a small nod.

" _It_ is a ship. And _it_ is called _Tetsusiaga_."

* * *

Sesshomaru shrugged into the uniform he had been given, ignoring the pulling pain from his back as best he could. As he left the private use bathroom adjacent to his medical room, he realized everyone else was gone. Only Kitakawa remained seated by the bed.

"The others have gone to freshen up themselves. They have been given instructions on how to reach the hanger."

Midoriko kept the anxiety she was feeling from her voice. The look the young captain was giving her made her more nervous than when she had gone into "battle" with the Inu no Taisho a few minutes previous.

"You know more than you let on."

His statement was accusatory and his stance aggressive. Midoriko broke her gaze from his, silently admitting her guilt.

"It is not something I can discuss with so many ears listening." She allowed, returning her eyes to his face.

"About Kagome."

The fact that he was using her first name and not her surname caught Midoriko's attention. Searching his stoic expression, she was satisfied with what she found.

"Yes."

She stood from her chair and gestured for the door. "I will be your linking partner for this battle. We can discuss such things then."

The walk down the halls was silent and stiff, but relatively quick. Midoriko kept watch of Taisho's gait, satisfied as it became smoother the further they walked. While not really healed, he was becoming accustomed to the pain and compensating for it.

They came to a rather unassuming door, and Midoriko placed her hand on the bio scanner. As it opened, they came into a short room where one of its walls was a set of massive metal doors.

"The hanger." Midoriko answered though he hadn't voiced the question. The hanger doors slid open and they were met with loud boisterous voices.

"Seems the others beat us here."

Sesshomaru strode over to where the rest of his team stood waiting, ignoring the inquisitive stares. He noted both Butch and Kaede were also present. His eyes strayed to the large object under a ridiculous looking tarp and deduced that it was the ship.

Midoriko watched after the captain, then turned to find the engineer of the ship, a grin quirking her lips. She was sure she was going to enjoy this next bit.

"How's your back, Captain?" Ayame asked her eyes studying the way he walked and stood. His eyes lazily contacted her own.

"Hn."

"Pft. As good a statement as any!" Inuyasha crowed, a devious gleam entering his eyes as he swung his hand in the direction of the elder Taisho's back. He was startled when his arm was grabbed, mid-flight, and twisted behind his own back, bringing him to his knees.

"A stupid move on your part, little brother." Sesshomaru mocked as he roughly released the boy and proceeded to ignore the insults being slung his way from an embarrassed Inuyasha.

"I'd say he's in working order." Kagura murmured out the side of her mouth and Ayame stifled a giggle.

"Well, well. If it isn't the return of the sissy-boy!" An overly loud shout echoed to them and everyone turned to stare at the rather crazy looking old man ambling down a set of stairs at the end of the walkway.

An audible groan left Sesshomaru's lips as he caught sight of Totosai. What was this? A macabre reunion of everyone who had embarrassed him during his trials?

Coming up on the rest of the team, Totosai looked from one person to the next, his disgruntlement clear. He squinted; first at Sesshomaru, then at Kouga and finally landed on Inuyasha. A huff of annoyance left his mouth and he scratched his head.

"The hell is wrong with kids these days? Every last one of 'em looking like a fruit cake." His eyes roved over Inuyasha and he let out a long sigh. "Both of Taisho's kids. Though he grew his hair out now too." His eyes skittered over Kouga and landed on Kagura, a look of relief easing over his features.

"At least this boy knows how to wear his hair!"

The silence was profound as everyone took a moment to take in the fact that he had called Kagura a boy. Sango wasn't sure exactly what had happened, but one moment the old man was standing proudly, and then the next he was a heap on the floor, Kagura standing over him with a raised fist.

"You see what happens when Momo isn't around to control him, Midoriko? Chaos, glorious chaos." Lydia's voice floated from the direction Totosai had come from and everyone turned to see both women heading their way.

"Why is he here?" Sesshomaru asked and Midoriko allowed a small grin.

"You didn't think he was put on _Ragnarok_ just to test you in the assassin trial's, did you?" Not waiting for a response, she waved her hand in Totosai's direction. "Meet the engineer of the ship we are going to use to break into the Baasratu energy barrier."

* * *

A groan left delicate lips as a pulse of energy quickened and then died a swift death. Lying on a bed in an isolated chamber, cerulean eyes flashed open as Kagome finally awoke.

xXx

I am so sorry this is two weeks late! First it was the holidays, and apparently tis the season to keep the laptop away from KC. Secondly, I came down with a horrible sinus infection! I don't know if any of you know what it's like to try to think of complicated plot while a marching band is drumming in your temples, but it's nigh impossible to do. I had to erase everything I wrote while I was sick. Twelve pages, completely erased…

But that's not important! What is, is I can finally say this: Kagome and Sesshomaru will be meeting in the next chapter! Or at least that's the goal! It might run a little long, but it's what I am aiming for! So, stick with me folks!

Thanks for reading and please review!


	25. Chapter 25

Chapter Twenty-Five

Kimiko sat back in her office chair, ignoring the chimes issuing from her work screen. Sparing it a glance, she sniffed in derision to see the number of messages left in her inbox. No doubt from the council. Her eyes again turned to the monitor on her desk, displaying the latest news on the hostile take-over currently going on.

The Baasratu appearance over _Eden_ was unexpected, and per the council, "unexpected occurrences" should not be in a precog's vocabulary.

She allowed a tight grimace as she absently read the lips of someone they were interviewing from the Northern Fleet. What the council didn't seem to understand is that the precognitive skill wasn't a definite. Hell, they still weren't even sure how or why it worked. Or in this case; didn't work. Kimiko had a theory, and this latest turn of events only strengthened her belief.

She believed that the actions, and subsequent outcomes of said actions, of all individuals created an energy of its own. The emotions, thoughts, and determination behind those actions specifically. She also believed that those like herself were sensitive enough to pick up on that energy and translate it into an intelligible picture. A vision of the "future", so to speak.

That none of the precogs in any of the cardinal fleets had picked up on the danger to _Eden_ until mere moments before the event occurred told her the Baasratu had made the decision last minute. On _purpose_.

While it was fine to feel a sense of superiority within your own race, Kimiko thought it was rather foolish to think humanity was at the top of the food chain. Those that compared the Baasratu to themselves by the things they had and used and the way they communicated, and found them barbaric, weren't looking at the whole picture.

The Baasratu were _masters_ at energy manipulation. Have been for centuries before they even stumbled upon their race. The fact that they hadn't completely eradicated humanity was a mystery to her, but throughout the years she had experienced their skirmishes in her visions and through reports, she had at least learned this: the Baasratu weren't taking them seriously.

Sure, they seriously fought them when push came to shove, but for the most part, humanity was treated with as much caution as one would an insect encroaching on their picnic. The only time the Baasratu took the initiative to seek them out was when they had made attempts at colonizing another planet for their home base. Each time; completely wiping them out. Making sure to keep their race unbalanced and constantly on the move.

So, the question was: What were they attacking _Eden_ for?

Taking her eyes from the figures moving in the news report, she focused on the documents displayed on a split screen beside it. She had had a thought, and acting on it, had brought up medical reports she had acquired a few years back. Her eyes skimmed over the name printed at the top; Kagome Higurashi.

Perhaps…the Baasratu were starting to see them as more of a threat than they had previously.

* * *

The first thought that came to Kagome's mind as she woke up was: it was freaking cold. Blinking her eyes, trying to bring everything into focus, she realized she was in a dimly lit room. A groan left her lips as she shifted, wincing at the pain it brought to her dry throat and wondering why she was laying on her stomach.

'I don't sleep on my stomach…and who left the cold air on?'

Her arms slid up the uncomfortable bed, and as she started to lift her upper body, a piercing pain went tearing up her back. Letting out a sharp gasp, she immediately dropped back down, her mind more awake then it had been. What was wrong with her back?!

Taking another glance around the room, her eyes flitted over several medical machines and equipment pushed to the far wall. So, she was in med-bay…why was she in med-bay?! Scrunching her brows, she stared absently at the thin blanket barely covering her, trying to remember exactly what had happened to land her in the medical ward.

'I spent the night in Miroku's room…we had a mission…Taisho was pms-ing so we got into a small fight…we found a hidden base on an asteroid…'

Her breath left in a whoosh as the rest of her memories hit her in a rush. They had been attacked by something. Ignoring the pain shrieking from her back, she scrambled out of the bed in a rush, rubbing her hands up and down her arms and checking over the rest of her body. Ignoring the way the medical gown bunched awkwardly on her shoulders and left her legs exposed, she scrutinized any exposed flesh with frantic eyes.

Some _thing_ had passed from Taisho and into her. The memory of slick, reaching hands made of a strange energy had her shuddering. The phantasmal feel of it touching her ethereal form made her feel sick. What… _happened_?

She took deep breaths, trying to calm her panic, as she broke down her last few memories with a clinical eye. Taisho had been in pain, the thing that had attacked had sliced open his back. That was probably why her back was currently screaming at her, but this time felt differently. It didn't feel like it was an achy, below-the-skin type of pain. This was like she had been sliced open herself.

Gritting her teeth, she slid her hand up over her shoulder to touch the top most part of the wound. Raised and puckered flesh met her finger-tips and she let out a shuddering breath. She was scarred. Her eyes remained fixed on the floor as she came to grips with the fact that the attack to her partner had wounded her physically as well.

What the hell kind of attack was _that_?! And what about _Taisho_? Was he ok? Did the attack affect him in a different way than normal? If the attack had left her scarred, what did it do to _him_?

Her eyes shot up as resolve hit her. She needed to see it with her own eyes. Looking about the room she frowned at the lack of reflective surfaces. Not even any windows! Her brows lowered as she slowed her frantic search. Something seeming wrong. The only things in the room were the bed she had been lying in and the medical equipment against the wall. There was no curtain around the bed, no windows in the walls and only one door that she assumed lead to the hall outside. What kind of medical room was this?

Turning towards the door, she marched over with the intent to open it and demand answers from the first person she crossed paths with. Her plan ground to a halt when she tried the scanner by the door and got denied. Examining the words scrolling across the top of the scanner she scowled when it said it was locked from outside.

Raising a fist, she began pounding on the surface.

"Hey! Let me out!" Her voice was hoarse with disuse and she wound up coughing at the last part, her throat protesting the abuse. "Heeeey! Anyone!"

She paused to listen, but could hear nothing from the outside. Turning back to face the middle of the room, she again wondered where the hell she was. 'Am I even in the medical ward? Shouldn't a doctor or something have come to check on me?'

Her imagination began filling in those questions with scenarios worse than the last. 'Stop that right now, Kagome Higurashi! Stop freaking out and look for some way to get out of here…or some water…or the bathroom. Whichever comes first!'

Filled with a new resolve and ignoring the trembling coming from her hands, she inspected the walls surrounding her for the third time since waking up.

* * *

Miroku cursed under his breath as he was again denied access. The small screen he had hooked up to the lock on the massive doors let out the annoying "denied" chime once more. Just as he was entering another code into the small bracket, a voice from behind had him spinning in place.

"So, you're the one trying to hack open the doors. Tch! Not even trying to hide what you're doing. What are you, an amateur?"

Standing behind him, with his arms crossed over his chest, was a young boy. Looking to be no older then thirteen, with long red hair tied into a ponytail. Miroku set his face into something passive, too irritated at the moment to fake a friendly atmosphere.

"And what are you doing here? The militia is gathering everyone in the northern cafeteria."

The boy snorted and turned his gaze to the screen he held in his hands.

"I know. Convenient for someone trying to break into the medical ward, huh?" He took a handful of steps closer and ignored the way Miroku had tensed up. "That code's wrong, by the way."

Dropping all pretense of amicability, Miroku scowled down at the boy. "Oh, yeah? And how would you know?"

Glittering green eyes and a sarcastic grin turned his way. "Because I'm head engineer." The boy calmly stepped up to Miroku's side and inserted a small keycard into the thin slot by the scanner. Prompts for an additional code flashed across the screen and the boy typed in a series of fifteen different numbers. With a soft hiss, the bulkhead doors slowly opened, granting them access.

Pulling the keycard out, he turned to walk through the doors but was waylaid by a hand on his shoulder hauling him back.

"And where do you think you're going?" Miroku asked archly, swiping the keycard from the kid and holding it aloft. "Thanks for opening the doors, kid, but I can't let you go any further."

Shippo scowled at the older man, glaring first at him, then at the card he was holding above his head and out of reach. He shoved the hand on his shoulder away and crossed his arms in defiance.

"Oh, yeah? And how do you intend to get past the other doors?"

Miroku waved the keycard as if in answer and Shippo snorted. "You don't know the access code." His tone was decidedly smug.

"I memorized the one you typed in." Miroku answered back sounding just as self-satisfied.

A slow, wicked grin spread over Shippo's face. "Who say's the doors all have the same code?"

Miroku's air of superiority dropped along with the arm holding the keycard up. "Why do you want in the medical ward, anyway?"

Shippo dropped his own arms and resisted the urge to lunge for the key. "I could ask the same of you, Mr. Archivist."

In a sudden whirl of motion, Miroku had Shippo pinned to the wall beside the scanner, dangling by his shirt a good six inches from the ground. "Who are you? How do you know about that?"

Wheezing from the sudden loss of air being pinned to the wall had caused and staring up at him as if he'd lost his mind, Shippo grabbed a hold of the arm holding him up. "I'm the HEAD engineer!"

Miroku frowned at the expectant look on the kid's face. As if his designation was supposed to mean something to the organization he worked for. When there was no dawning realization in the man's eyes, Shippo rolled his own.

"Oh, jeez. You're a low man on the totem pole, ain'tcha? You don't even know what that means!" Miroku stiffened at his words, but didn't loosen his grip. "Look, you can contact your superior when this is all over, but I'm telling you, we're on the same side! And I bet we're going in to med-bay for the same reason. So, before the Baasratu come storming in, what say you let me down and we get going already?"

Still on edge, but knowing he was short on time, Miroku released Shippo and took a step back. "I will be getting answers later." He promised and handed the keycard back to the redhead.

"Yeah, yeah. Hurry up! I gotta close the doors behind us to reinitiate the protective current."

"Protective current?" Miroku repeated, stepping through the doors and watching as they were sealed behind them.

"Yeah. New technology designed to stop the Baasratu from teleporting into areas or going through the walls. Gives them a nice zap."

Miroku raised a brow and started his trek down the corridor. "Why wasn't the whole ship covered with this current?"

"It's in the testing stages and it doesn't work when we try to cover large areas. In the end, we could only successfully activate it in certain circuits." Shippo glanced up at him. "The northern cafeteria is one of those areas. It's why I advised the militia to gather who they could there."

"Why the cafeteria?"

Shippo shrugged. "People gotta eat."

* * *

They were in the middle of putting on specialized armor when the screams started. Looking to the others in the room, Bankotsu nodded his head to Suikotsu. Suikotsu strapped his armband in place and headed for the front of the ship. Peering cautiously out the hatch, his eyes narrowed at the sight of people running and screaming. Keeping perfectly still, he zeroed in on what they were running from.

It seemed the Baasratu had finally started their invasion.

He backed away from the open door and headed for the armory where the rest waited. With a terse nod, he affirmed their thoughts. "It's started."

The ruckus from outside in the hanger grew louder and Bankotsu scowled to hear the discharge of phasers. "Ugh! Who told those idiots it'd be a good idea to _shoot_ at the Baasratu?! Those go right through them! They'll wind up blasting a hole in the hanger!"

"Hmph. Just a bunch of scared amateurs." Renkotsu scoffed as he finished fiddling with the wiring inside of Ginkotsu. Shutting the small panel and giving the large shoulder a thump to signal he was done, he stepped back as the large cyborg stood from the bench and turned to face the rest of the room. "We'll just have to show them how it's done."

Jakotsu warily eyed the cyborg before turning away with a sniff. "So, what's the plan, Bank?"

Bankotsu strapped on the last of his gear and then reached for the unassuming metal bar lying in the bench next to him. Pressing his thumb to the small scanner on the side, he grinned in satisfaction as a low hum met his ears and electricity crackled over the surface of the bar.

"What else? Let's go kick some ass."

* * *

Inuyasha once again found himself watching his older half-brother link with a new psychic. This time, however, Sango was also linking with a new psychic and his mind was distracted with more serious concerns.

"So, _Tetsusiaga_ is able to cut through Baasratu energy shields?"

"Yep." Kagura replied.

"Seems so." Ayame murmured.

"That's what they said." Kouga muttered.

"It's also supposed to be one of the fastest ships in the fleet?"

"Yep."

"Seems so."

"That's what they said."

Inuyasha's eye twitched. "And this will be the first time it's ever been tested?"

"Yep."

"Seems so."

"That's what they said."

Turning from studying the two in the center of the training room, Inuyasha opened his mouth to demand what was wrong with them when he noticed the other three looked to be lost in thought and not even paying attention. "And Wolfe must go through a vasectomy before this mission starts?"

"Yep."

"Seems so."

"That's what they- Hey! What the hell are you talking about, Mutt?!"

Startled from the sudden shout, both Kagura and Ayame jumped to attention and turned to the other two males. At this point the both of them had fisted the other's shirt and threats were flung blindly. Ayame moved her gaze back to the still form of Captain Taisho.

"What do you think about all of this?"

Kagura shifted her gaze to the pigtailed soldier and then shook her own head, crossing her arms over her chest. "This is going to be one hell of a mission."

Her thoughts centered on the short explanation they had been given before being jostled onto the sleek craft. Apparently, _Tetsusiaga_ would be moving at almost double the speed of a regular battle cruiser. There were pros and cons about this. While they would reach the center of the Western Fleet within a matter of six hours, they would be moving too fast for a stable psy-link to their partners. The second they cut their speed, and broke through the Baasratu barrier, they needed to be linked. Timing had to be damn near perfect, and speed was the key.

A message had been sent to their linking partners and the techs that would oversee the pods. Confirmation was fast in coming, but Kagura wasn't too sure they knew what they were in for. Kitakawa had gone on to announce that there were pods aboard the _Tetsusiaga_ to offset the problem, but that had only raised more concerns.

Psychics were valued as the only beings capable of causing real lasting damage to the Baasratu. However, the only way they could do so, was through linking with a soldier trained in combat and bolstering their own energy. Combining the energies of both psychic and soldier created a lethal power able to slice through the Baasratu.

Having pods, and consequently, said psychics, aboard a ship primarily built to enter the thick of battle, only put them in needless danger. Didn't it? In the human population, civilians made up the majority at fifty-two percent, soldiers made up about thirty-eight percent and psychics fell in last at ten percent. Among the ten percent, not all those psychics became battle links. Kaede was a perfect example.

So, it was no surprise that psychics were mostly kept from battlefields and pods were equipped with higher ranges. When posed the question, Kitakawa had looked to Totosai. The old codger had muttered something of "damned fool cowards" and "kids these days!" before explaining the cloaking technology the ship would employ.

 _"_ _As soon as you shatter that barrier of theirs, you'll go dark, energy wise. The Baasratu won't be able to pick up on you. Took a better half of thirty years to create that kind of technology, but it was only a theory, until a few years ago, that we were able to make it a reality."_

Kitakawa had said that because Taisho and Taijya had partners aboard _Eden_ , the both would have to use the time it would take to reach the center of the fleet by training with herself and the psychic whom had volunteered to link with Taijya. Kagura smirked in remembrance of the earnest young man that had nearly fallen over himself when he was introduced.

Kuranosuke Takeda seemed to be a childhood friend of Taijya's. A love-struck childhood friend of Taijya's. He had rushed forward as soon as Kitakawa had introduced him and grasped a hold of both of Taijya's hands in his own. He'd waxed poetic about Sango while she had stared in him in bafflement, clearly not remembering him at all. Kagura's smirk widened as she recalled the way recognition had lit Sango's eyes and she had blurted out: "Ah. Runny nose kid!"

The onrush of laughter had been halted as Totosai had literally pushed them all into the hatch of the ship. _"_ _Yes, yes. No time to waste! Butch, I'm trusting you with her. Lydia! You know the proper procedures for the energy currents! Don't screw it up!"_ And with that launch had been initiated and this training session had gotten underway.

While Sango had started her drills and katas, as she was supposed to; Taisho had remained still in the center of the room. His eyes were focused to the ground, but she could tell he was having a serious conversation with Kitakawa. Her curiosity bit at her relentlessly as she wondered, not for the first time, exactly what it was the two were talking about.

* * *

'It all started back when Kagome was ten.' Midoriko had started after they had linked. Her voice was soft, most likely due to the heavy emotions Sesshomaru could feel weighing her down. 'It was just after she and her peers had been assigned their Class. I don't know if you know how psychics are tested, so allow me to explain.'

Sesshomaru had moved carefully into a ready stance, more for testing the wound on his back then their link.

'When a child psychic is first designated, they are given a series of tests to figure out exactly where their talents lie. One of these tests is a large ball of yarn.'

'A ball of yarn.' Sesshomaru had paused in the stretching of his muscles at the mention of the unusual test.

'Yes. Each string wrapped within the ball of yarn contains an energy linked to a different field and there are several bunched together in the ball. The children are told to find the string, or strings, that they like the most and unravel it from the mass. They aren't told about the energy or what the strings signify. At that age, psychic energy is used by instinct. Though most of them would be attracted by their favorite color first, invariably, they would end up pulling what calls to them the most. If they didn't have the right energy to sync with the string, they would not be able to unravel it from the others.'

'Energy seeking like energy.'

'Exactly.' Midoriko paused as she thought on that fateful day. 'With Kagome, however, it was different.'

At this point, Sesshomaru had forgone any pretext of appearing to be training.

 _Midoriko paced up the short rows of desks, taking the time to glance at each child struggling with their ball of yarn. Murmurs of confusion and frustration made her smile as she felt small flares of energy coming from many in the room. It was times like these that she really enjoyed teaching the younger generation._

 _Her eyes landed on Kagome Higurashi and she allowed a soft smile to see the girl staring hard at the ball of yarn in front of her. Unlike the rest, she hadn't touched it yet, and instead was studying it intensely. Kneeling, Midoriko placed her hand on Kagome's desk to grab her attention._

 _"_ _What's wrong, Higurashi? Having trouble deciding which one you like best?"_

 _Looking up with serious eyes, Kagome had nodded and then returned to glaring at the ball. Midoriko stifled the urge to laugh at the solemn atmosphere and turned her own gaze to the ball, observing with her other senses the many different energies suffusing the strings. "You don't need to choose just one, you know. You can choose as many as you like."_

 _Wide eyes swung to her and Kagome's mouth had opened in shock, as if she hadn't thought she could choose more than one. "Really? As many as I want?"_

 _The excited whisper had Midoriko smiling as she gave into temptation and softly tousled the girl's hair. "Of course." Seeing the excited smile stretching the ten-year-old's face, Midoriko had stood back up and turned to focus on the small class as a whole. There were ten minutes left for the test and she glanced about, satisfied that everyone had managed to pull at least one thread from the ball. She continued another circuit around the room and was coming back to Kagome right around the final minute. 'If she hasn't unraveled any by then we'll have to stay after.' She decided, not minding the overtime._

 _Her eyes, however, widened at the sight of the string on Kagome's desk. Her heart stammered and her stomach dropped at the thirty different strings lined out neatly atop the synthetic wooden desk. Sensing her teacher behind her, Kagome had turned with a smile; proudly displaying the strings. "I really couldn't pick just one. Is it ok to have them all?"_

 _Midoriko had attempted to fix her expression. Children that age were susceptible to outside emotion, especially in an adult's face. Showing her fear and apprehension at Kagome's feat would do irreparable damage. Swallowing her mixed feelings, Midoriko attempted a weak smile. "That's…amazing, Higurashi. How…how did you do it?"_

 _'_ _Maybe the energy in her yarn ball was faulty?'_

 _Kagome frowned, studying the tense posture of her teacher, suddenly feeling as if she had done something wrong. "I just took them apart. You…you said I didn't have to choose just one…"_

 _Midoriko snapped out of her daze, forcing the smile to be more genuine. "You're right, I did. You like them all?" She hid the tremble in her hands by smoothing down her pants as she again kneeled by Kagome's desk._

 _"_ _Yes, but I like these more." She indicated four strings she had separated from the others slightly._

 _"_ _That's right, you like the color green, huh?" Midoriko realized she sounded dazed, but this situation was…impossible. Dismissing the class, Midoriko decided she would get in touch with the council on the matter. At the least, a retest needed to be conducted._

'I take it the retest yielded the same results?' Sesshomaru asked as Midoriko paused. The humorless laugh he received in answer had him frowning.

'No. Kagome was already suspicious. We had tried to make it as innocuous as possible by retesting all the children, but she wasn't fooled. She studied the way the others struggled to pull out one or two strings and attempted to mimic them. However, I was monitoring her with my other sense, watching closely. She wasn't just manipulating the energy in the string she was attempting to pull out. She was manipulating all the others to move out of its way too.'

Sesshomaru let it sink in, knowing he couldn't fully understand exactly what it all meant, but getting the gist.

'I decided to enter her second choices as the true result and blame the first test on faulty equipment.' Midoriko answered his unasked question and went on. 'As it happened, she had chosen the strings for battle-link capacity and botanical energy. Her training was decided from then, but I couldn't help but monitor it closely. As she learned, her affinity with both flourished, and I started to believe my own false recordings. At least until her first link when she was fifteen.

'They had labeled her a prodigy. She had grasped the concept of manipulating someone else's energy almost frighteningly fast. No one else could see it, but I knew. It was more than just an affinity for linking with someone else. I could see it when we worked together in the botanical gardens. Kagome has a connection to _all_ energy. It was the most amazing thing I had ever seen.

'However, there was no hiding her results in her linking tests. The military faction had gotten a hold of her scores and started the process for conscripting her into the battle program. They had wanted me to reassign her classes, gearing them more for combat and strategy. I…I couldn't bring myself to completely comply. Yes, I set her for courses the military claimed were mandatory, but I also stuffed in lessons in other areas she seemed to enjoy. Eventually it all fell to naught.

'The other lessons were gradually pushed out and the only time Kagome could come into the gardens seemed to be in her free time. I watched as her affinity with other energy waned, and in some cases, disappeared completely. We were destroying something wonderful and amazing right before my eyes, and there was nothing I could do about it.

'The time came for me to submit the report labeling which field Kagome would go into after graduating, but I…couldn't do it. I refused to give her a designation, and when the council called on me to ask why, I gave my case. I had been keeping track of Kagome's energy separately from the official files and used them against the definitive decision they had wanted me to make; that Kagome would be slotted for battle-linking.'

Sesshomaru's face remained passive, but something inside must have given him away because Midoriko gave another dry laugh. 'Yes, not the best choice I've ever made. The fallout from revealing what I did cost me everything I had built for myself after retiring from the battlefield. And Kagome…the council had no idea what to do with the information I had provided. It took up until the day before her graduation before they called upon her to make her own choice.

'I wasn't privy to the way the council had decided, but I think that because they had foisted so much combat and linking classes her way, that they thought she would have chosen it as her designation. Much to their great disappointment, she chose botany instead. I was transferred that very day, having been contacted by your father after the council had decided I was no longer able to mentor the young. Never got to see Kagome's graduation, or even say goodbye.'

Sesshomaru thought back to the awkward feelings of betrayal that had come from his partner, finally able to place why she would feel that way.

'How does this tie in with the Baasratu.' He not-quite-asked and Midoriko gave the feeling she was shaking her head.

'I'm not sure, I don't claim to know the mind of the Baasratu. Given their inclination toward energy manipulation, I can only speculate they have interest in Kagome because of her abilities. Her files have been hacked multiple times, so I don't think it to be a stretch that the traitor in our midst was giving her information to them in exchange for whatever they were giving back.' A sharp laugh reached his ears. 'You know, Kagome herself doesn't even know any of this. My doing. My lies…crippled her. I made her believe she was less than she was.'

'Too late for regrets, Kitakawa.' Sesshomaru nearly growled, irritated at the guilt coming from his temporary partner. Midoriko reigned in her emotions, trying not to cringe at the biting accusation in his tone. He was right. She had made her own bed and had no choice but to sleep in it. Besides…

'Kagome's strong.' She spoke the last out loud, conveying more than those simple words. A spike of contemptuous agreement washed over her from the silent captain.

'Hn.'

* * *

Lydia wacked the younger man at the back of his head and pushed his hands from the controls. "Not like that! Exactly what are you watching?!"

Brandon rubbed at the sore spot on his head and scowled at the tyrant that had taken control of the transport room. Compared to her flirty nature when he had first met her, he was sure she was a case of "the body snatchers". As soon as they had walked into the transport room and she was tasked with teaching him the controls, she had done a complete turn-around in her behavior.

"That's it! Get out! Go get me a coffee! Maybe I'll have your mistake fixed in the time you are gone!"

Still scowling he stalked from the room, unconsciously following her orders to retrieve her caffeine. He ran into a broad chest and looked up at the scowling visage of Butch. "That lady driving you batty too, huh?"

Brandon blinked as Butch shifted slightly to peer into the room around him then shifted back abruptly.

"That had better not be a good-for-nothing pilot loitering out in the halls when he is supposed to be studying those manuals!" There was a pause and both pilot and tech held their breath. "And he damn well better not be colluding with my worthless gopher…I mean assistant!"

Clearing his throat, Butch made a hasty retreat as the sound of exasperated footsteps approached the doorway. Brandon followed his lead, powerwalking all the way to the kitchen.

Kaede pulled her head back in the medical room she had been shown too when they had first launched. Stifling her giggles until the door was shut tight, she let go, reimagining the scared look on the rugged Butch's face. If anyone knew how to whip men into shape, it appeared to be Lydia.

As her laughter died down, a darker emotion welled up in its place. To distract herself from the feeling, she turned to look through the various implements provided. She was missing a few things she thought she would need, so she began thinking around the lack of equipment. She had buried herself so deep in her task, she nearly jumped out of her skin when Butch's voice thundered from the intercom.

" _Eden_ is ten minutes out. Suit up."

Before the communication was cut, Kaede could hear Lydia in the background. "You're supposed to run this program _at the same time_ as this one! Do you even know _how_ to read-?" Letting out another laugh, Kaede went to put on her own suit. She would be transporting with the rest of the team. No one knew exactly what was going on inside that black sphere. One thing was for certain though; there were never too many medics.

* * *

Another boom sounded from somewhere outside her room and Kagome gripped her knees tightly. She had been sitting in the overly air conditioned room for _hours_ when the sounds of what could only be explosions rumbled to her ears. At first, they were just minute vibrations, but as time dragged on, she could hear some sort of commotion.

She blamed the absolute silence of the room she was in. Truly, she doubted she'd be able to hear anything if there was some other noise… _any_ other noise. She looked around the room at the mess she had made it into ruefully. In the beginning, she had been desperate to get out. Enough to try to ram expensive looking equipment into the door, hoping to either make enough noise to draw attention, or bust the door down.

Honestly, she had been banking on the first option, seeing as the door was firmly sealed. But, time had dragged on and _nothing_ had changed. No one had come. Her energy couldn't probe past the walls she was enclosed in either, so she couldn't search for people that way. She had tried to while away the time by testing out the limits of her injury, stretching in any way she could to see how far she could push it, but that only distracted her for so long.

She had thought she was hallucinating when she heard a door open, so she nearly had a heart attack when someone shouted her name.

"Kagome!" Came from two different mouths and Kagome whipped her head to stare in shock at the sight of Miroku and Shippo fighting each other to enter her room. Shooting to her feet, something like desperation filled her as she sprinted for the two now staring at her in astonishment. Launching her body at the two, she successfully managed to push all three of them out into the hall.

"Finally! Free!"

Both males froze comically as they crashed to the floor and Kagome found she was crying even as she was laughing. "Thank god! I was imagining the worst while I was stuck in there!" She scrambled off the two and took a quick look down the hall on both sides. It ended in a dead end to her right, roughly the length of her room, and a large bulkhead door remained shut down her left. "Uh. Where are we?"

She turned her steadily narrowing gaze to Miroku as he picked himself up off the floor. "And what the hell is going on?!"

Unbiddenly, the two males looked to the other, silently debating exactly what to say. Where did they start? Miroku opened his mouth to start, but the sound of a large explosion and the ship rocking violently had him snapping it shut as he wrapped an arm around Kagome, cushioning her impact with the wall. His hand slid over her exposed back and he recoiled at the feel of rough ridges where there shouldn't be.

Beside him and slightly behind Kagome, Shippo drew his breath in a horrified gasp.

"Kagome…what…"

Gritting her teeth over the rough way Miroku's hand had connected with her scarred back, Kagome shot a look to the younger engineer. Before she could answer him, Miroku seized her shoulders and hastily spun her around. The sound of his own swift intake made her flinch and clench her eyes again.

"That bad…?" Her voice sounded shaky and nervous to her own ears. The featherlight touch to the side of her scar had her turning her head in time to catch a glimpse of Miroku's expression. It was too much for her to decipher so she turned back to face Shippo.

Shippo swallowed under the weight of her stare and shook his head. "No! I mean…well…yeah…it kinda looks like someone tried to filet-"

"Kid. Enough." Miroku barked and Shippo shut his mouth with a snap, already knowing he was swallowing his own foot.

Kagome took a shuddering breath and pulled away from the other psychic. "What's going on, Miroku? Where is everyone? …anyone? What…what are those explosions?"

Miroku took a deep breath and decided it was best to get it all out quickly. " _Eden_ is under attack. From the Baasratu. They appeared above the ship when you were still out from the attack in that asteroid."

The shock and bewildered look on her face spoke for her. Shippo shifted nervously as he checked his screen for information on how the protective currents were holding up. In the four hours it had taken to track Kagome to the isolation room in the quarantine sector, half of which the Baasratu had actually started their attack, they had lost power to four currents. The only ones still in full effect were the helm, the northern cafeteria, the medical ward, the labs and the underbelly of the ship.

The current ringing one of the residential districts had just dropped, meaning the Baasratu were on a course for the medical ward. Looking up from his screen, Shippo realized that while he had been plotting the Baasratu's course, Miroku had continued to explain their current situation to Kagome.

"Quarantine…? Why…?"

"They wouldn't tell me. I had to get the kid to help me find you."

Kagome shot a glance to Shippo who was glaring at Miroku. "So, what do we do?" Fear was in her eyes, but Miroku was proud to see her fighting back her panic.

"Well, I have a-"

"We're going to the underbelly of the ship." Shippo cut Miroku off, ignoring the glare shot his way. Kagome frowned, crossing her arms as goosebumps crawled up them. "The underbelly?"

"Hey! What are you-?"

"I told you we were after the same thing, right? And that's getting Kagome to safety! The safest place to go is the underbelly! There's…" Shippo trailed off as he tried to find the right word. "…someone you need to meet."

Kagome frowned, thinking his pause was suspicious. Before either of the older psychics could put forth more of an argument, Shippo pulled out the big guns. "The Baasratu are already closing in on our trail. Heading for the underbelly is the only way to go, unless you want to cross paths with them?"

Miroku grit his teeth, reaffirming that he did not like the kid's smug attitude. Kagome glanced at the silently fuming Miroku and then turned to Shippo fully. "Fine. To the underbelly then. But could we maybe find me some clothes…and a bathroom? I've been wanting to go potty for a while now…"

"Yeah, the main lobby has a locker room for all medical personnel. There should be some clothes you could use stashed there…scrubs at the least. Also…" Shippo trailed off as he fussed with the map displayed on his screen. Miroku felt his teeth clench for the thousandth time he had been forced to work with the brat.

"Also…what?!" He finally asked as Kagome gave another shiver beside him.

Shippo looked up from his screen, determination painting a grim cast to his young face. "There is a weapons cache located around the main lobby. I think it would be a good idea to grab something from it; just in case."

"What happened to your explanation of 'it's the safest course!'?"

Kagome blinked at the almost snide tone Miroku was using and frowned at him. "What's wrong with being prepared?"

Miroku startled at the angry feminine voice and cringed at the indignant look Kagome was shooting him. Of course, Kagome: protector of all things small and cute. Rolling his eyes and shaking his head, Miroku turned a glare at the smug look painting the engineer's face.

"Fine, kid. You win." He paused as he really thought the conversation over. "Why the hell is there a weapons' cache in the medical ward?!"

Shippo gave a signature shrug as he turned to the bulkhead doors. "Gotta prepare for any eventuality."

The three of them began their search, heading past two bulkhead doors and finding themselves in the main lobby.

"It's really spooky with no one here." Kagome whispered, feeling like the star of a horror/suspense film.

"Yeah. The medical facility evacuated first." Miroku whispered back, drawn into the atmosphere. "Hopefully everyone stuck in those pods are alright."

"Yeah." Kagome thought about how Miroku said the Baasratu had caught them all up in a net of energy. Since she had been told they were under attack by the Baasratu, Kagome had withdrawn her own energy, coiling it about her tightly. Sure, she couldn't feel out anyone, but they in turn couldn't feel her.

"Hey, Kagome! The locker room for medical staff is back here!" Shippo whispered as loudly as he could, waving his arm to attract her attention. Letting out a sigh on how silly they were being, Kagome slinked her way over to the locker room and hunted down something that would fit her. Shippo rejoined Miroku, a hard gleam in his eye.

"Alright. Let's go get those weapons." Both shot a quick glance to the shut door leading to the locker room then hurried down the hall to the hidden weapon storage. "Why are we sneaking, anyway?"

Shippo shrugged. "I dunno…kind of fit the mood?" Stopping before a random section of the wall, Shippo took out his keycard, swiping it over seemingly nothing. A sharp chirp sounded and the wall slid away, revealing a small closet hung with different styles of weapons. "They all have the capability of electrical discharge, meaning we can hurt the Baasratu with 'em, but killing them will be harder. Electrical energy only disables them for a time."

Miroku shot a sardonic look at the scholarly tone the redhead took and reached in for the large black staff. Before his hand closed around it, a loud clatter had the both of them whirling to confront large fearful brown eyes. Shippo blinked before his mouth dropped open in shock.

"Rin?!"

"Shippo?!"

Miroku eased his tense frame as he studied the slightly familiar teenage girl in front of them. Where had he seen her before? At the same time he was wondering this, liquid orbs met his own and another gasp escaped her.

"You're Dr. Higurashi's friend!"

"Miss Inoue!" A harsh whisper from behind Rin sounded and both males stiffened while Rin spun around.

"Kohaku-kun! Over here!"

Limping around a corner, Kohaku Taijya took in the sight of Rin, Shippo and Miroku and let out a sigh. His eyes also took in the opened weapons cache he had been searching for earlier.

"Why aren't you in one of the escape pods?!"

Kohaku glanced to Rin and then back to Shippo, who had asked the question. "It's a long story, for another time." He got out, easing his weight off his still healing leg. "What are you doing here?"

Miroku turned back to the weapons and pulled out the staff, testing the weight in his hands. "That's also a long story for another time. Are you able to defend yourself?"

Kohaku straightened once more and gave a sharp nod. "Just fine. Hand me a saber." Miroku nodded and reached in, tossing it over to the younger guard and watching his reflexes. When he caught it with ease, he nodded again. "Great. Let's get back before Kagome thinks we left her behind."

"Dr. Higurashi's here?" Both Rin and Kohaku spoke at the same time and Miroku sighed, motioning them forward. Shippo grabbed his own saber, determined that the guard not show him up. Making sure the three were on their way back to the lobby, Miroku reached in and grabbed a third saber. Kagome would want the chance to defend herself, after all.

A loud squeal from ahead of him had him wincing as he watched an overly excited teenager fling herself onto a scrub-wearing Kagome. "Dr. Higurashi!"

Kagome steadied herself as well as the large object that had barreled into her. Hands gripped the back of her shirt and she winced as they pulled at her scarred back. "Oh, Dr. Higurashi! Today has just been a nightmare!"

"Rin-chan?" Kagome looked from the shorter girl to a third figure hobbling over beside Shippo. "Taijya-san? What…?"

"Uh, can we do explanations and stories later?" Shippo cut in as Kohaku was opening his mouth. His eyes were on his screen and the little red flashes had him panicking. The current surrounding the medical ward was failing.

A commotion from down the hall had them all freezing and spinning to stare in the direction.

"Right. That's our cue!" Miroku nearly shouted as the commotion got louder and the sound of sharp scraping joined in. Grabbing a hold of Kagome's arm, he propelled the both of them down the hall leading to an emergency lift Shippo had pointed out as their designation. As they reached the lift's door and Shippo began unlocking it, a terrible screeching crunch had their eyes fastening on the only bulkhead door standing between them and the Baasratu.

A large, red-glowing claw punched through a corner of the door. Sounds spilled into the long empty corridor. Shouts that had Miroku taking another breath into lungs that had frozen in fear. Shouting meant human. It wasn't just Baasratu behind that door. There were soldiers too. Gripping his staff in front of him, Miroku thrust the saber he had obtained from the cache to Kagome.

"Here. Put your thumb on the scanner." He instructed, keeping his eyes on the door steadily being peeled apart like a banana. He had to shout over the horrible screaming coming from the metal. "Whack at anything alien!"

Kagome took the saber, her eyes also trained on the door rapidly falling away to reveal beings she had only seen in lessons and through the "eyes" of her partner. Shippo cursed as his fingers slipped and input the wrong number to the lift. The sounds echoing down the hall had him trembling in fear as he tried to keep his panic back.

Rin gripped a hold of Kohaku, her breath rapid pants. She looked from the rigid back of Miroku to the trembling hands of Shippo. She opened her mouth to suggest they make a break for it when the doors to the lift opened with a soft "ding!". Before Shippo could celebrate, a loud crash followed by a sudden short silence had him spinning around. The bulkhead door was torn completely from the wall and the five Baasratu standing in the opening had paused, causing the silence.

"I don't think we'll be able to take the lift." Miroku murmured as the commotion started up again and the Baasratu began a slow walk to where they stood.

* * *

When they had arrived to the first point and their speed had slowed, it had been explained that the rest of the battleships in the area were attacking the Baasratu warships as a distraction. Inuyasha, Kouga, Ayame and Kagura had linked with their psychics' mere moments before they had appeared on the battlefield. Standing in the transport room, Sesshomaru was working on calming the anxiety he had never felt before.

The fact that Kitakawa was quietly murmuring reassurances had his teeth on edge. Butch's voice over the intercom announced they were ready to pop the Baasratu bubble, and to brace for impact. Gripping a hold of the handles interspersed throughout, the whole team waited for some sort of turbulence.

"Woo! Sliced through that shit like butter!" Butch crowed over the intercom and Inuyasha let out a grumble.

"Feh! Feel like a fuckin' moron…"

"That's because you are." Kouga shot to the younger Taisho and both were interrupted by an overly cheerful Lydia.

"Beginning transport! You'll be in the northern hanger. Good luck!"

Without any other warning, the team felt the familiar nauseous lurch and a shift of scenery. Tensing and ready for a fight, they took in the destruction. There was no movement, but red and orange was painted in splotches everywhere. Bodies of both Baasratu and human beings lay scattered about.

Ignoring the horrified gasps from Ayame and Sango, Sesshomaru began stalking forward, his eyes on the map displayed by his armband and his ear turned towards Kitakawa.

'No enemy or ally movement in the hanger. It's dead.' Her voice was monotone and Sesshomaru made the brief comparison to the first time he had linked with Kagome. It was clear where she had learned it from. 'As far as I can tell, the fighting has escalated and moved into the ship.'

"What are the red flashes on the map?" Kouga asked out loud, probably already having asked his partner to no avail.

'They are protected areas. If they are flashing the Baasratu haven't managed to infiltrate them.' Sesshomaru relayed the information and asked a question of his own.

'Where is the medical ward.'

Midoriko glanced to the map and explained to him that it was one of the larger red lined areas. 'The current barrier is still up, Kagome is still safe.' She added in last and hid a smile at how that seemed to tick him off.

"They've made it to the residential area. Let's move."

Sango shot a glance to Kaede, expecting to see fear or apprehension. What she saw was a hard light in her eyes and a jaw tightened in determination. The girl had guts and experience. "Stick close to me, Kaede." She got out as the both of them followed behind their team leader; Inuyasha falling in back to keep an eye on the room.

"There is no one I can save in here, anyway." Kaede murmured, her limited energy feeling out what she could.

Kikyo, having picked up on her words through Inuyasha, let out a small sigh. For the most part, Inuyasha had left his partner alone. Her emotions were all over the place since the asteroid mission, and he knew they had only gotten worse with each new revelation. The worst part about it was, was that Kikyo withdrew into herself when she got emotional. All he could really sense from her was an icy wall.

The team moved fast, only pausing to check on survivors and killing anything alien that still moved. "I know they have onboard soldiers and battle-links…but some of these marks don't make sense." Kouga muttered as he examined a scorch mark that looked like some sort of explosive had gone off. The half-deteriorated form of a Baasratu laying in the scorch mark's wake, made him raise an eyebrow. "What the hell else is fighting the enemy?"

"From the looks of it, a cyborg with heavy artillery." Sesshomaru answered absently, still tracking his map as they moved.

"A cyborg?! Those were outlawed after the massacre a hundred years back!" Inuyasha exclaimed from behind and Sesshomaru shot him a glare.

"Are you sure?" Kouga asked at a lower volume, staring pointedly at the assassin. Sesshomaru spared him a glance but didn't answer. They got to a fork in the corridor and paused.

"The Baasratu split up after this. Other ships have already started transport onto _Eden_ , so back-up is on the way." Ayame reported, watching communications from the other ships on her screen and listening in her earpiece.

'Which way to the medical ward.' Sesshomaru reiterated and Midoriko indicated the left. As he turned to stalk down the hall a hand on his shoulder had him whirling around. Kouga quickly held up his hands and took a step back.

"Look, we know you want to get to the medical ward. Ain't gonna stop you. But the Baasratu have also headed further into the residential."

"So, we're splitting up?" Ayame asked, more for confirmation. "I'm heading into residential with Wolfe, then."

Sango blinked at the sudden decision to split before heading over to Captain Taisho. "Medical ward."

Kagura glanced to Inuyasha. "Residential."

Inuyasha let out a groan but knew where his partner wanted to go. "Medical."

Kaede, wanting to go to the medical ward, but knowing she'd be needed in the residential, gave Inuyasha a hard look. "Take care of my family." She scowled and turned to follow Kagura, Ayame and Kouga.

Inuyasha scoffed and turned, startled that Sesshomaru and Sango were already leaving him in the dust. "Oi! Hold up!"

Turning a bend in the corridor, the sounds of battle reached their ears. The screech of Baasratu and the shouts of men had them tensing as they came up on what could only be chaos. Eyes narrowing, Sesshomaru bent his knees, readying himself for the speed he would need to bypass the clutter and get ahead.

"The current to the medical ward is down! They've broken through!" Sango had the chance to shout over the noise before Sesshomaru was gone, disappearing into the thick of battle. Inuyasha traded glances with her before moving in to assist a soldier having trouble. Sango took a deep breath and raised her own saber, slashing at the first Baasratu in her path.

* * *

Miroku kept his arm out, pushing Rin and Kagome back towards the lift as he studied the strange way the Baasratu were moving. Contrary to what he had thought, instead of rushing at them in attack, they instead, were slowly moving in their direction. As if studying them. Worryingly enough, as more Baasratu spilled into the hall, it seemed as if even more had turned back to fight off the soldiers attacking them. As if blocking them from the hall.

About twenty feet in front of them, the advancing guard of Baasratu stopped completely and Miroku felt Kohaku tense beside him. "What…what are they doing?" His voice was raspy and Miroku had to swallow at the sound, knowing his would be just as nervous sounding.

"I don't know." He managed to murmur back before two of the Baasratu parted in the front and something stooped and knobby ambled forward.

 _"_ _Human girl."_

The voice had the hairs standing up on his arms and he was alarmed to realize the one talking was the Baasratu-esque _thing_ that had come forward. Rin and Kagome both froze behind the two men standing in front of them.

 _"_ _Human girl. Come…forward."_

Kagome let out a shaky breath and pushed Rin back behind her and onto the lift. She took a step around Miroku and shook off the hand he grabbed her arm with. At her movement, the Baasratu also shifted, and she felt _something_ flick at her. She would liken it to a snake's tongue, testing her energy.

 _"_ _Yeeees…Come…"_

"What…what do you want?" Her voice was just as shaky as her limbs, but the only thought on her mind was: she had to stall. The Baasratu couldn't keep the soldiers out forever, and if they were going to talk, it meant they weren't going to attack them.

The hunched over Baasratu in front of them slowly straightened, the orange…robes…it wore fluttering at its movement. Kagome watched with first confusion and then horror as twin slits on the Baasratu's head opened and she found herself staring into orange eyes. This Baasratu had _eyes_. Completely solid orange eyes. All except for the deeply red slit that broke up the middle.

 _"_ _Yeeees…you…"_

Another energy probe struck at her and suddenly her small shield burst. Like a flood, her energy spilled from the container she had locked it in, whipping out in all directions and taking in her surrounds with a deluge of information. The most frightening of the information she could grasp was that every single Baasratu in that corridor was focused on her with all their intensity.

A gasp left her mouth and her knees suddenly felt weak, but not because of the Baasratu in front of her. As her energy had burst out, reconnecting with everything around her, she had felt _him_. Sesshomaru. He was _here_. In that corridor, just beyond the shattered door.

 _"_ _Come…human girl…and we will leave your race alone."_

At the voice, Kagome crashed back into the situation she was currently in. "What?!"

"Like hell you-!" Miroku's outburst was cut off as a sudden crash of energy had all standing behind her smashing into the ground. Kagome shot a quick look behind her to see that everyone had been forced to the ground under what she could only describe as a gravity-like energy. Her eyes shot back to the tall Baasratu with the creepy eyes.

 _"_ _Come…we want…only you."_

Kagome swallowed convulsively and clenched her fists. She took a few steps forward, her breath escaping her mouth in an attempt to keep calm. Her heart was going a mile a minute and her legs trembled with every step. "You'll leave everyone alone…?"

 _"_ _Yeeees…come…"_

Muffled protests came from behind her as Kagome took a couple more steps forward. The Baasratu hadn't moved from where they were and she was now closer to the creepy-eyed Baasratu than her friends. Narrowing her eyes, she prayed to any deity that might be listening that she would survive this confrontation.

"No way in hell!" Shouting it out like a battle cry, she raised the saber she had been clutching in her hand, willing her energy to infuse it so she could at least cause some damage in distracting the Baasratu.

Moving faster than she had thought she could, she grit her teeth as the light blue lined saber fell through the air to meet with the arm that had been raised to stop it. Her tensed arms prepared for resistance, so it was understandable when she nearly fell when there was none. Both the Baasratu and herself watched in astonishment as her saber cleaved into the arm and then into its torso with no resistance whatsoever. She jerked back, bringing the saber with her and stumbled a few steps, staring in shock.

The Baasratu stared down at its severed arm, before shifting to look at the gaping tear she had carved into its chest. _There's no blood._ Kagome thought in abstraction as she stared down at the arm. She blinked when she caught sight of _something_ and peered closer. The arm was…disintegrating? She had enough time to think this before a terrible screech rang through the air.

Looking up, she watched with her mouth slightly hanging, as the Baasratu she had attacked let out another shriek and appeared to be… _melting_ from where she had sliced it. Absently, she registered the fact that the energy behind her had disappeared and that Kohaku and Miroku had leapt to their feet, rushing to her side. Which was definitely a good thing, because the Baasratu had not stopped to stare at their deteriorating leader.

"Kagome! Snap out of it!" Miroku shouted as he fended off red-tipped claws, swinging his staff around and knocking two of the taller aliens back from them.

Kagome shook off her shock and turned to the enraged enemy. She had no idea what the hell her energy had done, but she knew one thing. It was effective against the Baasratu! Swinging the saber, that she had only a vague idea on how to use, she let out a satisfied grunt as the same thing happened as before. Her saber slid through, meeting almost no resistance and the enemy cried out as it began to disintegrate.

* * *

He could feel her just ahead. Through the broken-down door. Slicing through an enemy in his path, Sesshomaru dodged a set of claws. She was so close, he could _feel_ her. Heart picking up speed, Sesshomaru ignored the voice of Kitakawa as he zeroed in on where _she_ was. Gritting his teeth in irritation as swarms of Baasratu seemed to be in his way, Sesshomaru slid past a downward slash, severing the arm the claws were attached to.

"Kagome! Snap out of it!" Was shouted ahead and his ears nearly twitched at the sound of her name. Three more Baasratu fell to his saber before he was through the door and closing in on the one he sought.

The bright flash of light blue energy caught his eye first, followed by a ripple of long dark hair. She turned and he caught the fierce tilt of her chin and the fire in sapphire eyes. Something dark and primal burned in the pit of his stomach as he locked onto her face, his lips lifting into a savage grin. She was _there_.

Slicing through her forth enemy, Kagome wondered if they were endless. High on adrenaline and the success of her own attacks, she realized that she could feel Sesshomaru getting close. _Really_ close. As a matter of fact-! Before she could finish her thought, a black saber was stabbing her opponent through the chest from over her shoulder. A hand clamped onto her opposite arm, spinning her around to face the one behind her.

She caught the brief flash of molten amber before hot lips descended on her own and an energy she had been unconsciously seeking since her shields had dropped washed over her completely. Letting out a small whimper, she had only succeeded in opening her mouth just enough for his tongue to slip inside and tangle with her own.

A clatter sounded from beside them and then his hands were framing her face, tilting her head slightly for a better angle. Her hands, not wanting to remain idle, released what they had been holding and she found herself clutching onto the front of his suit.

Miroku let out a breath as the Baasratu in front of him was downed by the silver-haired man that had come in to assist. Looking up to thank the soldier, he was waylaid by the look of utter horror plastered to the man's face. Following his line of sight, is own mouth dropped open at the sight of Kagome, wrapped up in the arms of a second silver-haired man, kissing him as if there was no tomorrow.

"What the _fuck_?!"

Sango, who had followed behind the Taisho brothers at a much slower pace, dispatched the last of the Baasratu in the room and spun around at the shout that came from a familiar voice. Before finding the one she was looking for, her eyes found the debacle that had, no doubt, inspired the shout.

'Well…go Captain Taisho…' Kuranosuke murmured.

xXx

Whew! This was a hard as hell chapter to get through! Eighteen hours spent just on writing it! Not consecutively, of course. Still, I didn't want to break it up into two, because I promised. It's nearly twice as long as the other chapters, but ya'll forgive me, right?

Thank you for reading, and as always, please review.


	26. Chapter 26

Chapter Twenty-Six

The sound of an explosion, followed by a trail of heat passing his cheek, had Bankotsu swearing under his breath. Though, it in no way stopped the grin spreading over his face as he delivered a debilitating blow to the Baasratu he had been fighting off for the past few minutes. The sickening crunch, that reached his ears as his opponent was finally downed, had his hands tightening around his weapon.

Eyeing its body for further movement, he was satisfied when it remained still. Glancing up the corridor, he took quick stock of his teammates activities. Not far from where he stood, Jakotsu and Renkotsu were giving back as good as they got, trading blows with the Baasratu in much the same fashion he had been. Both looked to be alert and in one piece, but he imagined they were tiring, much as he was.

Suikotsu had dashed off as soon as he was set loose, and from what Bankotsu could catch glimpses of from where he was, the man had already lost himself to his berserker persona. The huge grin and wild eyes a telling indicator.

Not far behind Suikotsu was Ginkotsu, moving at a steady pace and mowing the enemy down with each shot fired. He fired another small missile, burning a hole in the first Baasratu and taking out another two standing behind it as the blast-range widened.

Farther down the corridor, and out of harm's way, crouched Mukotsu. The brief flashes coming from him let Bankotsu know he was firing off bolts coated in a special brand of toxin he had been experimenting with. The periodic screech of the Baasratu told him they were hitting their mark, but as for what it was doing to the alien race, he couldn't say. The battle was moving too fast for him to stop and really see.

Just as he was thinking this, and as if summoned from his thoughts, a new opponent was before him and he was fending off red glowing claws. Side-stepping another slash, he brought his pole up into the Baasratu in a sharp jab, knocking it off balance and providing him with enough time to swing the pole out and catch it in the back of the legs. He wasted no time in driving the pole down into the alien's head, again crushing the skull and leaving behind small sparks of electricity.

In the beginning of the battle, he had paused to admire the splattered remains of the aliens he had killed, though now it only reminded him that he would probably never get the orange stains off his armor. Rolling his shoulder back, he shot a glance to the door in front of him and the numbered plaque beside it.

About an hour into the fight, Bankotsu had noticed that the Baasratu weren't invading like he had thought they were. They weren't targeting anything that moved with the intent to exterminate, but were rather marching forward, only contending with those that had stood in their way. The Baasratu were on a mission, and while a fascinating thought, it wasn't worth he and his team's lives for them to figure out what that was.

He had decided then that they would withdraw to the hanger. After all, they weren't soldiers. And they damn sure weren't militia! They had no reason to put themselves in danger if the Baasratu weren't interested in killing them. Just as he was about to issue the command for his team to fall back, a thought struck him like lightning.

The Baasratu were heading down the northern residential sector. That stupid cultist's room was down the northern residential sector. The _chip_ was _in_ the cultist's room. Who's to say it would be improbable for a poor defenseless door to be blasted off its tracks by a wayward missile in all the chaos? Congratulating himself mentally, he had sidled up to Renkotsu to discuss the specifics.

Taking note of the number by the door they had finally reached and counting that the door he was looking for was just ahead, he slid passed a few soldiers hacking at a cornered Baasratu, and made his way to Renkotsu's side. Though no words were exchanged, Renkotsu got the message. Pushing the alien he had been grappling with back forcefully, he allowed Bankotsu to take his place as he turned to look for Ginkotsu.

Spotting the hulking cyborg, and reaching his side, were going to be two completely different things. The rebuilt monstrosity was surrounded by screeching Baasratu, as if he had aggregated his own following. Considering the heavy damage his ballistics were doing to the enemy, it was highly likely that was exactly what had happened.

Raising his arm, he sent out a sharp whistle, thankful for the enhanced hearing Ginkotsu had been equipped with. The swift turn of his head, followed by the slower lumbering turn his body made, told him the cyborg had heard and was heading back his way. Another blast was issued and suddenly the enemies between he and his mechanical creation were gone. He made a quick motion to the door they wanted blasted and watched as Ginkotsu set his target.

With a flash and a metallic crunch the door had been blasted, but Renkotsu was perturbed to note the missile hadn't done near enough damage. While it was certainly off its tracks, the door was only partially ajar. Clearly the cultist had reinforced his door as well as his security. Tricky bastard.

Bankotsu, noticing the same, scowled as he shifted and squeezed through the opening, Renkotsu quickly following him. Jakotsu had time to take in the fact that their plan was in progress and that they could soon leave, before he was again swept up in the tide of battle. Putting down another set of flashing claws, he let out a dignified huff. It was about damn time! He was exhausted!

Shooting another glance at the destroyed doorway, he turned and began a quick and stealthy trek towards Suikotsu. Someone needed to reel the crazy bastard in before they were ready to leave.

Inside the room, Bankotsu was tearing the drawers in the only dresser out and dumping the contents on the floor. Renkotsu had started in the closet, looking for any kind of unusual panels or some kind of safe. Finding nothing, he moved onto the desk beside the closet.

"W-what the hell do you think you're doing?!"

The loud shout preceded a soldier as he scrambled into the room, staring at the mess the both of them had made and putting two and two together.

Impatient and more than a little pissed at not yet finding the chip, Bankotsu stood from the last drawer he had been rifling through and turned to face the defensive soldier.

"Well, this just isn't your lucky day, is it?" He gritted out, garnering the young man's full attention. Behind him, Renkotsu lifted his weapon and brought it down hard against the back of his head. By the squishy connotation of the blow, Bankotsu surmised that Renkotsu hadn't held back. The soldier's body dropped lifelessly to the floor, blood pooling below him almost immediately.

Bankotsu turned to the nightstand beside the bed and began looking through the first drawer. "Did you kill him?" He asked almost disinterestedly and Renkotsu nudged the side of the soldier with his foot.

"Probably."

"We better hurry then."

Renkotsu let out a similarly disinterested grunt and turned back towards the desk he had been checking. His hand slid all the way to the back of the drawer and he let out a curse. Bankotsu, who had been inspecting a very interesting pair of lacy black underwear, turned a raised brow to the taller bald man.

"Shit. Guy's got a stack of vid-chips here."

"Just grab 'em all. We don't have time to be picky."

Renkotsu clicked his tongue and shoved the handful into a pocket on his suit. The both of them turned to leave and Bankotsu shoved his pole into the crack, wedging the door further from its tracks and allowing them to exit the room with ease.

While they hadn't been in the room long, it was long enough for the fighting to have shifted farther down the corridor and around a corner. Seeing as none of their teammates were standing there waiting for them, they could only guess the four of them had been drawn farther down with the battle.

"God damned useless bastards." Renkotsu cursed as they both turned to follow after, when another voice hailed them from behind.

"Hey! Are the both of you alright?"

Bankotsu turned and stifled the urge to curse himself. Trotting up to them were four soldiers in front-line armor. Correction: three soldiers and a medic. Dredging up the last of his energy, he hoped he looked innocent enough to fool what looked to be hardened military personnel.

"Uh, yeah. The battle just carried us into this room." He stopped himself from saying more, unsure exactly what these people had seen.

"Into a room you had to pry the door open to get back out of?"

Kouga narrowed his eyes onto the two suspicious men in unknown armor in front of him. While the bald man looked to be a man at the end of his rope, it was the shorter, dark-haired man's innocent half-smile that got the hairs on the back of his neck to stand up.

'Something ain't right here, bro.' Hakaku murmured as he focused his energy on the two in front of the wrecked doorway.

'No shit.' Kouga thought back as his hands tightened into fists, the metal plates clinking faintly. His eyes darted into the room, taking in the haphazard mess as well as the soldier lying prone just inside the door.

Seeing the direction Kouga's eyes had taken, Bankotsu grit his teeth and tried for one last lie. "Ah, that poor guy was…injured in the blast that knocked us through the door."

Kaede, who had remained behind Ayame and Kagura the whole time, slid slowly to the right and peered into the room herself. Looking over the downed soldier, she straightened and resumed a position behind her team.

"There aren't any burns and the injury to his head looks to be caused by blunt-force trauma." She looked up towards the two men in front of them and jerked slightly as her eyes met with a pair that didn't look totally sane.

"The hell you trying to say, bitch?"

Bankotsu closed his eyes briefly as Renkotsu finally snapped. While fighting off three primed military frontline soldiers definitely wasn't in their favor, it looked like they had no choice. He hated it when there were kinks in the plan and it looks like that's all he'd gotten since he had stepped foot on _Eden_. Clearly, this place was cursed.

By the time he had reopened his eyes, Renkotsu was already in motion, lunging past the three soldiers and aiming for the medic.

Kouga spun in place, reaching for the bald man, but instead got a nasty shock as an electrified pole slammed down on the top of his hand. The metal plates absorbed the blow and his armor was able to diminish the electricity, but it still felt like an angry buzz had settled into his knuckles. A rather annoying feeling that got Kouga's anger up in an instant.

'Careful, bro! They modified those weapons of theirs! These aren't standard issue!'

"Now, now…can't we just pretend we never saw each other and go our separate ways?"

Kouga nearly growled at the dark-haired man that had blocked him from grabbing the bald man. "Yeah, 'cause that's gonna happen."

Ayame and Kagura fended off the bald man's attack, both silently reeling from the overwhelming strength this guy seemed to have.

'If you can't handle him, just let him have the medic, puppet.'

'Shut. Up. Hadani.' Kagura gritted out to her partner mentally even as she finally shoved the bald man back a step, giving Ayame the chance to attack his exposed side. Both were astonished when, with a speed they couldn't match, the man swung his weapon, catching Ayame in the stomach and Kagura in the chest, flinging them both into the wall and floor, respectively.

Kaede watched as the bald man straightened from his half-crouch and turned to face her with a single-minded intensity that scared her witless.

"You…stupid…little-"

Kouga's fist came crashing down into the back of the bald man's head before he could finish whatever it was he had been about to say, and Kaede slid down the wall she had been huddled against. Her eyes swung to Kouga in gratitude, but her mouth dropped open in horror as the dark-haired man was in mid-swing at the captain's head with his own weapon.

Before she could utter a sound, a blur appeared between the captain and his assailant, effectively blocking the attack. Kouga turned in time to catch Ayame as she fell back into him, still blocking Bankotsu's pole with her own saber.

"Now this isn't fair." Bankotsu grunted as he gave another shove and pushed the two soldiers back from him. "Renkotsu! Get your ass up!"

Renkotsu was already climbing to his feet, one hand clutching his weapon the other clutching his head. "Fuck. You'll pay for that." He promised darkly as he shook off his double vision and lunged for the male soldier.

Kouga grinned savagely as his fist connected with Renkotsu's face, but he lost it abruptly as the electrified pole slammed into his gut, knocking the breath from his lungs.

Ayame was now fencing with the dark-haired man, although the sparks from his pole were starting to concern her. Exactly how high was the voltage on this thing?!

'Well, little puppet. It seems you are only as good as cannon fodder.' Hadani chuckled darkly in Kagura's head and she let out a small groan.

'And it seems you are shit when it comes to reinforcing armor, Hadani. Match made in hell.' Her sarcasm was lost in the laughter still coming from the psychic, but she figured it was her win anyway. Stumbling to her feet, she looked down to check the armor on her chest, disturbed that it looked like it had been charred.

'It seems they are using personally modified weapons. Better not get smacked with them again.'

If it weren't for the fact that she knew he was saying it only because they were linked and he would get fried along with her if they were hit again, she would have thought it was the most concern he had ever shown for her.

Preferring to only give a disdainful sniff in answer, she turned her attention to the fight in front of her. While Kouga looked to be holding his own against baldie, Ayame was starting to struggle with luscious-locks. Her saber was knocked away with a particularly strong blow, so Kagura took that as her chance to step in.

"Why am I always saving your ass, Shiro?"

"Because you don't want to be left alone with Wolfe." Ayame wheezed as she stumbled over to her saber. Slightly alarmed over how drained she felt, she turned her question to Ginta. 'What's wrong with me? That was hardly even a spar and yet…'

'It's the electricity!' Ginta sounded slightly panicked, which caused Ayame to gasp out loud. 'He's been hitting us with it with every blow! I don't know what the hell they modified those weapons with, but prolonged contact with it is lethal!'

She whirled around to warn Kagura, but almost swallowed her tongue as Kagura's saber bit into Bankotsu's side, going deep.

"Bank!" A high pitched shrill, that sounded vaguely familiar, echoed from down the hall and all eyes snapped to stare at a horrified Jakotsu.

Running the last of the length between them, Jakotsu shoved the shell-shocked Kagura away from his team leader as the both of them fell to the floor.

"Kaze, you bitch!" He shrilled again, even as he was checking Bankotsu's wound, placing his hands over it to stop the blood flow.

"J-jakotsu…?!" Kouga had enough time to murmur before a strange gurgle followed by loud booms and vibrations drew their attention to down the hall once more. Two more men were running towards them, but it was the gargantuan _thing_ behind them that was making the noise.

"Oh shit. There really is a cyborg!"

* * *

Midoriko could admit; if she were a psychologist writing a paper on human emotion, and key incidents that trigger said emotion, the past hour would have been a gold mine for her. Sadly, she was not a psychologist so all she could really feel at this moment was an extreme sense of discomfort and overwhelming embarrassment. If there could have been a hole she could have crawled into, she would have done so.

As it was, she was doing everything in her power to drown out the emotions flooding her system from Captain Taisho.

She had noticed when they had first boarded _Eden_ that he had been irritated, but wholly focused on what they were doing. His irritation had spiked along with impatience when they had reached the division in the corridor. Splitting the team had changed his mind-set. His focus had shifted: from exterminating the invading Baasratu, to finding the person still on ship that he wanted.

As soon as his goal had been locked in, Midoriko had been slightly alarmed as he seemed to completely sink into his own instincts. His speed had increased dramatically and she was mortified to realize she couldn't keep up with him. His speed, combat tactics…everything. It had taken her all to keep his energy flowing in the right circuits.

It was as if she had never even been trained for partnering with an assassin in the first place! Dimly, in the rush and panic she had been experiencing, she felt something change in him the moment the doors to the medical ward had fallen. A savage excitement that had her trembling in more than a little bit of fear. As she was trying to balance both of their emotions, a familiar wave of energy had brought a stillness to the tsunami she had been embroiled in.

Clarity had then taken a hold of her current partner and another wave of focus had sharpened his intent. He had moved through the enemy fluidly, never even pausing in his forward movement. She had felt the impact, same as he had, when he had finally caught sight of the one he had been searching for. Kagome Higurashi.

The emotion that had come from Taisho then had Midoriko blanking out. If she had had a body, she was sure she would have passed out from what she was getting from him. With no possibility of escaping, she had tried to turn her attention to their surroundings and enemies, putting as many barriers in their link as she could without dropping it.

So, she felt it was reasonable that she had been completely floored when he had grabbed Kagome into a world-shattering kiss. Through all the emotions she could feel coming from him in that moment, she was rather surprised that the one that she felt the most was _relief_. Hearing a commotion, and desperate to focus on anything that wasn't her temporary partner kissing her former student, Midoriko subtly nudged at Taisho.

Kagome distantly heard the loud exclamation in the background, as well as the decrease in fighting, but for the life of her, she could not focus on anything past the hot sensation of tongue and lips dueling with her own. The feel of his hands sliding along her neck and shoulders, as well as the knowledge that this was _Taisho_ , had her releasing another small whimper and clutching his suit tighter.

With a last rough slide of his tongue against the roof of her mouth, their lips parted and his forehead came to rest against her own. His hands tangled in her hair kept their faces close as they both just breathed.

"You are unharmed."

His not-quite-asked question had her letting out a breathless laugh. "Yeah."

"Alright! That's enough of that shit!"

The loud, gruff, exclamation had Kagome jerking back to reality. Sesshomaru scowled briefly as they both straightened from each other and his eyes met with those of a similar shade. The expression on his half-brother's face, however, gave him pause. The boy looked particularly green and shaken.

"I don't know who the _hell_ you are, but I demand you bring the bastard's mind back!"

Kagome stiffened slightly, mindful of Sesshomaru's hands still lightly gripping her upper arms; thinking, for a moment, that the soldier with the same silver hair was talking to her. That is, until she realized his eyes were trained on Sesshomaru as he pointed at him in an accusatory manner. Brows furrowing, Kagome turned to take in her partner's expression only to realize it was the first time she'd be setting eyes on the man.

Her breath left in a whoosh as she felt like she'd just been sucker-punched in the stomach. From his profile alone, she could tell he was a stone-cold heartbreaker. When he turned to face her at her sudden movement, she found she was again being devoured by golden fire. Before she could remember to blink, let alone breathe, she felt hands clamp onto her shoulders and jerk her sharply backwards.

"I find I am in agreement." Miroku's voice, hardened to something she barely recognized, reverberated over her head as she bumped into his chest. "It is hardly ethical for a soldier to lay his hands on a lady in the middle of battle."

Sesshomaru's gaze snapped from startled blues to shadowed amethyst. His hands tightened around Kagome's arms for a moment before he loosened his grasp. The man standing behind his partner looked dangerous, but his grip was protective, not possessive.

"Miroku!" Kagome hissed slightly as she tried to shrug off his hands. She opened her mouth to refute the barbs he had growled only to pause in mortification.

Oh, holy shit.

She had just been _making out_ with a man in the middle of a Baasratu attack! Her hands covered her eyes as she groaned in embarrassment. Judging by the overall silence in the medical ward lobby, they had had a rather large audience too.

"Yeah! What he said!" Inuyasha piped up once more and ignored his half-brother's piercing glare. Instead he swung his gaze to the petite girl currently trying to hide her red face in her hands. So…this was Kikyo's cousin…

Feeling a burgeoning tide of emotion welling up from his partner, Inuyasha scowled and crossed his arms over his chest. He knew what she wanted him to do, though he didn't really want to.

"Oi! Wench! You're alright, right?"

Kagome stiffened slightly and raised her face from her cupped hands. Her eyes met with Inuyasha's scowling visage and she returned it in kind.

"What did you call me?"

Sango had jerked slightly as the man holding onto Kagome-chan was called by her linking partner's name. She had been frozen, as the rest of the soldiers in the lobby, by the sight of her captain wrapped in a passionate embrace. Regardless that it was in the middle of a Baasratu invasion, the fact the captain was kissing _anyone_ was a shock.

The shout from the younger Taisho seemed to shake everyone from the frozen tableau they had been, only for things to still once more as the dark-haired man had angrily approached the pair. Now hearing that that was _Miroku_ , Sango felt something deep inside clench and her stomach drop to her toes. Clearly, this man was in love with the woman who had been kissed by another.

Why else would he be clutching onto her and glaring so heatedly at the captain?

Finally tearing her eyes away from those on center stage, she was distracted from the miserable thumping in her chest by the sight of someone hobbling toward her at great speed.

"Kohaku?!"

"Sango!"

Sango grabbed a hold of her younger brother and staggered back a few steps in order to keep them vertical. Ignoring the excited chittering coming from the annoyance she was linked to, she tightened her arms briefly and pulled back to inspect the sibling she hadn't physically seen since she had left for her first assignment. Splatters of orange denoted he had been in the thick of things, a red stain near his side gave her pause for concern, but it was the memory of his limp that made her brows furrow.

"Are you alright? Why are you limping?"

Though she didn't sound hysterical, Kohaku knew it was only a matter of time before she worked herself up.

"No. I'm okay! This was from something else."

"Something _else_?!"

Kohaku winced. Wrong word choice. The nearly shouted words, at the decibel they were voiced, had the effect of drawing the attention of those nearest to them, including the previously gob smacked teens that had been standing on the lift, watching the drama. Both Rin and Shippo swung their gazes to see what else was happening.

"Who's that?" Rin whispered quietly to Shippo, who shrugged in turn.

"I don't know…his sister maybe?"

The relieved sigh and small "oh" that Rin had let out caused Shippo to scowl.

Jerking his eyes from the dramatical interlude that had abruptly shattered the intense battle beforehand, Shippo looked down at his screen still displaying the active currents. He was relieved to see that on-ship communication had also been restored, because there were numerous messages flashing by. Taking out the small earpiece he always had on hand, he synced it up to the communication channel. At first it was just about of racket he couldn't make heads or tails of. The volume of it alone had him cringing back against the lift's wall.

Rin, standing beside him, put her hand on his shoulder in concern. "You okay?"

Shippo nodded and waved his hand in the air, distracted by trying to decipher the mess of voices talking over one another. Drowning out loud requests for back-up and panicked questions from what seemed to be civilians, Shippo caught hold of the calm undertones of someone highly trained. Placing his hand over his ear his eyes narrowed as he stared a hole into the floor of the lift.

 _"_ _-repeat that?"_

 _"_ _This is Fleet Commander Taisho, aboard the battleship_ Armageddon _. We are nearing your proximity."_

 _"_ _Ah…Fleet Commander Taisho…? You said you are aboard the_ Armageddon _…_ _?"_

Rin jostled his shoulder and he abruptly lost the communication. Turning a wild gaze to the slightly older teen, he had to stop himself from shaking her.

"What the-?! Dam-dang it, Rin! What the he-?!"

"Your nose is starting to bleed, Shippo!" Rin squeaked in concern, slightly alarmed over the crazed look he had in his eyes.

Blinking at her for a moment, he scowled and roughly wiped his nose with his sleeve. "That doesn't matter! We gotta get going!" Turning from the bewildered girl, Shippo clicked his tongue as he realized the drama was still going on.

"Kagome! Come on! We gotta get outta here!"

Before Inuyasha could reply to Kagome's growled question, Shippo's shout had reached her ears. Turning to face the small engineer, she finally shook off Miroku's hands. "What?"

"He's right." The quiet voice came from her right and Kagome looked over to see a familiar face. Of course. Sesshomaru was here, so why wouldn't the rest of the team? Sango gave a small smile seeing the recognition blooming over Kagome's face, but continued with what she was saying before she had a chance to open her mouth. "I've got a report saying that more enemy battleships have appeared above _Eden_. We're going to be swarmed in a matter of minutes. It would be best if those not trained for combat retreated to a protected area. Right, Captain?"

Sango looked over to Taisho, staunchly ignoring the stare she was receiving from Miroku. She didn't think she could look at him right now without losing the composure she had gotten when she had received the rushed communication from Lydia. Sesshomaru straightened further and turned to face the other soldiers in the room. From what it looked like, out of all that had assembled, he had the highest rank.

"We have limited time, then. Inuyasha, round up those with enough stamina to face the first wave directly. Taijya, see to those that are wounded."

Inuyasha huffed at the order, but was slightly relieved the ice-prick seemed to be back to normal. Sango gave a sharp nod and took out the small field kit she took with her on every mission. Though only capable of rough patch-jobs, it was better than nothing. Turning to her younger brother first, she frowned at the stubborn expression on his face.

"I know what you're going to say, and the answer is no."

"Kohaku…"

"Sango, I'm perfectly fine. My leg is fine! I didn't even get any other injuries when we fought off the Baasratu!"

"Kohaku, I would feel better if you went with Kagome-chan." She held up a hand to stop him from arguing. "Your leg could become a liability and I won't be able to concentrate on the enemy if I am worried about you."

Kohaku's shoulders slumped. Even he knew that was true. Not to mention he was only militia, not even a soldier. He didn't have a psychic partner and of all the others in the room, he was the only one with a mobility problem.

"Fine. Kick ass, sis."

Sango grinned. "Of course! Who do you think you're talking too?"

Shaking his head, he left it at that and made his way to the lift. He was slightly startled when his eyes met with a large brown gaze.

"You alright, Miss Inoue?" He asked the previously forgotten girl as he got on the lift and watched as she nodded.

Miroku watched as Sango went about checking up on the soldiers. She hadn't met his eyes, let alone looked in his direction since he had discovered she was there. While it was a cause for concern, unfortunately he didn't have the time to remedy the situation. He turned to get Kagome's attention, only to find she was already staring at him with a raised eyebrow.

"What did you do to Sango-chan?"

Miroku held up his hands in a placating gesture. "Nothing! I swear!"

"Uh huh. That's why she's treating you like a leper?"

Before he could say anything in his defense, Shippo was again shouting at them from where he was on the lift.

"Come on! Let's go! Talk later!"

Kagome and Miroku spared each other another glance then sighed and headed for the lift. Before Kagome made it very far, a hand was at her elbow, again spinning her around in a similar manner as earlier. Though he didn't say anything, the look in his eyes was enough. Unable to stop herself, she reached up to lightly caress his cheek.

"Stay safe, Taisho."

His hand curled about her own on his cheek for a moment before he lowered her hand and she was turning to get on the lift. Their eyes remained connected until the door shut with a soft ding.

"Ugh. Do you have to be so clichéd mushy?"

Kagome turned a patronizing look on the young engineer. "How did you know that there were incoming Baasratu ships?" She chose to ask instead.

Shippo frowned down at the floor. "No. I overheard a different transmission." He paused to look at those on the lift. "The _Armageddon_ has entered the battlefield."

Miroku stiffened, immediately understanding the implications. Kagome frowned and her brows scrunched in confusion, but it was Rin who voiced her thoughts.

"But…that's a good thing, right? The _Armageddon_ is our battleship."

Shippo scowled down at the floor and Miroku was the one to answer.

"Yes, the _Armageddon_ is ours, but it's different from other ships. It's the only ship in the Western Fleet that has energy cannons." Though Kohaku looked like he was starting to understand, Kagome and Rin still looked confused. "If they brought _Armageddon_ here, they knew there were more Baasratu warships inbound. They plan to use the cannons on them."

Kagome gasped as she grasped the whole picture. "If they use the cannons…and with the close proximity of the Baasratu warships…"

Shippo nodded. " _Eden_ could be destroyed in the process. Or at the very least damaged by the discharge."

"Why…why would they do that?" Rin murmured, shock and terror streaking over her face.

"Sacrifice the few to save the many." Miroku muttered back, his hands clenched into fists.

"So, what's the point of continuing down?" Kagome asked, suddenly angry at the situation. "It's not like we can hide from the blast!"

"We aren't hiding from the blast." Shippo said quietly and turned to stare Kagome in the eyes with an intensity she was uncomfortable with. "You can stop it, Kagome."

Kagome raised both brows, wondering for a moment if she had heard him wrong. "I can stop it. And…exactly _how_ would I be able to do that?!"

"I can't explain it. It's just what I was told."

"Just what you were _told_? What? Told by who?!"

Miroku was watching Shippo quietly. He was curious who this mystery person was too. "The person we are supposed to meet in hull of the ship?"

Kagome shot a glance to Miroku and then back to Shippo.

"No! Well…yes…kinda…" Shippo faltered and then waved his hand in the air impatiently. "Look it will all be explained when we get there!"

The soft ding as the lift finally reached its destination sounded out and Shippo let out a breath of relief at the excellent timing. As the doors opened and before anyone could step out, what looked to be a broom handle came down at Miroku's head. Twisting sharply to the left, he avoided it as it came down to the floor with a crack.

"Huh. Whoops. Thought you were Baasratu."

Standing in front of the lift door, still holding onto the broom used to attack Miroku with, stood a grinning Anderson. Behind her were what looked to be an array of botanists armed with strange things, and geared up for a fight.

xXx

Ah. Ehehe…hehe…heh. I AM SO SORRY! A lot of stuff happened to me and I was forced to take a small break from writing. And after all was said and done, I found it incredibly hard to write this chapter. I think it's because I have to incorporate so many different individual points of view. This is, and probably will be, the only chapter where I have to focus on so many things at once. To the point it feels like this chapter is choppy.

I apologize for that. I read and reread and deleted and rewrote this chapter so many times I got nightmares about it. Still not completely satisfied with it, but I'm not sure if that's just because I've dismantled and rebuilt it numerous times.

On a different note: THANK YOU SO MUCH to all of you who reviewed and pm-ed me! I promise I will try to answer all those pm's and other messages sent to me. I apologize again for my absence, and as always:

Thank you for reading and please review!


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